Family Secrets
by MonarqueMyste
Summary: Sorry to everyone, I had to make some changes to this story. Don't worry, still the same ending just had to remove a few things before I got into trouble.
1. Default Chapter

Just as a note to everyone…I do not own or make any profit off of this work. The Predators and the Aliens belong to their respective owners. Scar and Lex also belong to them. So please do not sue me…I'm not worth it. But, Melody and Melissa belong to me as well as the names Tanaka and Varick. Please, if you are going to use them in any of your writing, stick with the purity of who they are. So, enough said, please read and enjoy.

Chapter One: Love at First Sight

New York City, New York

July 2105

As Tanaka stood on top of a large brick building, he couldn't help but notice a lovely ooman female walking out of the local bakery. Her long black hair billowing in the breeze. Her almond-shaped sapphire blue eyes looked up to where he was invisibly positioned. It was like a moth being drawn to a flame. Tanaka couldn't tear his eyes away from her lithe form.

He knew she couldn't stand more than 5'4" and barely weigh 110 pounds. Her skin reminded him of peaches and cream. Soft and delicate. Her hair hung in soft waves down to her waist. He watched as her small but firm breasts rose and fell, softly, with each breath she took. Tanaka could tell that if he were to place his hands on her waist, they would span it completely. And her hips, they complimented her tiny figure.

Tanaka could have sworn that he had never, in all his 600 years, ever seen a more perfect ooman female. He became jealous when he saw the other ooman males stare at her as she looked away from his spot and began to walk towards her truck, which was parked beside the coffee shop. He could hear her laughter when one of the ooman males tried to ask her out and she told him "no".

He could not understand how a woman as lovely as herself would not be mated with anyone. Was there something wrong with all the potential mates? Did she find humor in teasing them? Or, had she just not found the right mate for herself?

That had to be it. Maybe she was one of those that could sense that there was something out of place with people. On his world, a woman like her would be greatly prized by any male. Females, such as herself, would be treated like royalty because their gift of second sight was passed down through the bloodlines. Especially into the male children, this gave those warriors an ability to fight a lot faster because they could see into the future and anticipate their opponents' next move.

Tanaka knew that he must find out who and what she was. And, what she was capable of. Even if she didn't have any gifts, she was still quite beautiful and spirited. He had been watching her every move for the last week and was still wondering who she was.

He wanted to know her name. He wanted to know everything about her but, he was unsure of how to introduce himself to her. None of his kind had ever pursued or even thought about pursuing a relationship with an ooman female.

Except one. That was almost a hundred years ago. He was called Scar and the female that he went for was named Lex. Scar died before he had a chance to finally make Lex his mate. Lex was offered a position with the rest of the crew and stayed on until her death at the hands of one of the serpents. She was given high honors by everyone on board the ship. She died an honorable death trying to save two younger Yautja warriors who had joined the hunt. She never chose another male for a mate and that was accepted by the elders.

_This one,_ Tanaka thought,_ has spirit and beauty rolled into one tiny package. Now, how do I go about taking her as my mate? I can't just walk up to her and tell her of my desire. That is not the ooman way but, maybe father would know how to go about pursuing her. I have not mated in a long while and I am lacking a lot of practice._

He could still recall his last mate who died in his arms trying to save him. He remembered her last words were that she would "carry your image with me into the afterlife and I will cherish our last moments together until we met again."

His father, Varick, had spent many years living in secrecy on Earth. It was even rumored that he found his happiness with a new mate. But, this was only a rumor that had never been proven to be factual. After Tanaka's mother died almost five hundred years ago, his father maintained a state of depression until 25 years ago when he was hunting on Earth.

There was not a Yautja who knew what caused him to come out of his depression but they had suspicion to believe he found a new mate. There was only one problem with that equation…no one had ever seen him with this new mate nor did he bring attention to the possibility of him taking a mate. So, all their theories went down the drain when he never produced this supposed new female.

Varick returned to their home planet with a different look upon his face. He was no longer depressed, he just seemed content but distant from everyone else. He told everyone that he had finally realized that he no longer had a reason to be sad. That someone had showed him a new perspective on life and gave him new meaning but, he would never say who it was. Even Tanaka had tried to make his father produce an answer to this complicated equation but Varick never revealed anything. And that was just how Tanaka left it…a question without an answer for the last 25 years.

As Tanaka leaped from rooftop to rooftop, making his way back to his ship, he started thinking about the young ooman female that had captured his attention. He began to wonder if his mother had the same effect on his father when they met. Varick hardly ever spoke of his mother, except to say that she was a good warrior and a strong fighter. He never spoke of how they met or of their mating. It was as though they never really loved each other, they just tolerated each other for the sake of having offspring. Of which they only had one and that was Tanaka.

_I hope father can answer some of my questions without leaving me with more questions._ Tanaka thought as he neared the large clearing where his ship was stationed at. He was thankful that it was still invisible.

"Well now, my son. I was beginning to think that you were going to be out hunting all night" Varick stated as he watched his son approach and became visible.

"I may still be hunting but not hunting for sport. This is a new kind of hunt that I am planning" Tanaka said with a light tone of humor in his voice.

"Oh. What kind of new hunting?" Varick asked.

"I have found a new mate and I mean to pursue her but, I am unsure of how I should go about doing so. Any ideas?" Tanaka asked.

"Who is this new mate that you have found?" Varick asked.

"She's an ooman female whose beauty shines no matter where she is" Tanaka stated.

"Oh. Why would you choose an ooman female instead of one of our warriors?" Varick questioned. He was trying to steer his son away from the truth. He too had fallen in love with an ooman female many years ago but, she was promised to another…an ooman male.

Her name was Melissa but, he always called her Lissa. She was more beautiful than any creature he had ever run across. Her voice was enchanting and her gift of mind reading was unique. He could never keep a secret from her.

The last time he saw her was when she married Kareem. A wealthy man she despised. She looked in his direction and mouthed "I love you" at him before she bowed her head in submission to her husband.

Even at fifteen years old she had a spark about her that made her desirable to him. She was well-endowed with a woman's body and mind. She allowed her heart to guide and it led her into his world. The world of the Yautja warriors. He showed her how to fight and taught her their language in a very short period of time. Varick found her to be a very fast learner in everything that he taught her.

"Because, father, there's something about this female that attracts me to her. Something that I have never felt before and I can not explain it. Will you help me with this matter?" Tanaka asked as he looked at his father. He could tell that Varick was in deep thought again but, what about, he didn't know.

"All right, I'll see what I can do for you. So where is this ooman female that you like so well?" Varick asked. He was thankful that Lissa had taught him the ooman language, which he gratefully passed down to his son. Even though Tanaka frowned upon the idea of learning the language he soon found out that it was coming in handy especially when it came to being able to read their words and understand them when they spoke.

"She works at a local bakery during the mornings and then goes to work at a dance club in the evenings along with another ooman female who looks very much like her. I think the other female might be her mother but I am unsure of this" Tanaka stated as he started walking back towards the city.

"All right, then show her to me. I was young once and I have felt the way you do. So I am in no position to judge your decision" Varick said as he followed closely behind his son hoping that his luck would turn out far better than his.

Varick never forgot his beautiful Lissa or the last night they were together. They had only mated once and that was the night before she was suppose to be married. She told him that she didn't want to go through the rest of her life not knowing what pleasure felt like. He couldn't argue with her on that. He knew that she would never find happiness in that ooman's arms or even in his bed.

Varick had spent two months seeing her and it was only during the nights, after her parents went to bed. Which he understood because he knew that her parents would never accept him into their home the way she had. Every night he came to her bedroom window and took her out for several hours. Sometimes they jumped from building to building, looking at the night lights. Other nights they went for walks through the park, just content to be next to each other. And, some nights, he taught her how to fight like a warrior.

It was during these times that he taught her his language and she taught him hers. He was very surprised when she picked up everything very rapidly and began to speak to him in his own language. There were even times when she caught him off guard and was able to pin him to the floor but, he always played along with it.

It didn't seem to bother Varick when she wanted to play around and for him to enjoy a game of tackle. But, he was always very careful because she was not as strong or as big as he was or the female Yautja. He also learned to enjoy most of the Earth food with the exception of a few things.

He remembered when they snuck into a drive-in movie theater and sat down on one of the buildings. He never thought he would see the day when he would spend more time enjoying a female's presence over training or hunting. They laughed out loud when a funny scene would show or comment on the bad acting. They even made suggestions to each other on some of the fighting techniques they used.

Then, it finally happened. They went for a walk in the park and that's when she told him about her upcoming marriage to Kareem. Varick remembered sitting on the grass beside her in the moonlight as she explained the whole story to him about her arranged marriage. Her father's gambling debt that was owed to this man and about her being the payment to him.

It was then that she asked Varick how he felt about her. He knew that he could not lie to her. Varick told her that he loved her more than anything else in the galaxy and would do whatever she wanted as long as he could have her by his side. He knew that he would not be able to have her because she respected her parents' wishes and knew that if she disobeyed, her family would be thrown in jail.

She was stuck in a position that she did not want to be in. Especially now that she had finally found her happiness and that was Varick, the warrior that she fell in love with. He knew that no amount of words would change their fate. That's when he told her that he would forever cherish their moments together and that in his heart she was his wife.

He recalled the look in her dark blue eyes when she said that even though she was married to one by force, her true marriage was to him. In her heart, Varick was her husband.

It was at that moment that he handed her a necklace that was made out of a silvery metal that was used for the chain and a dark blue gem stone that served as a pendant. Their eyes met after he placed the necklace around her neck and that's when he took her hands into his. Varick told Lissa that he would always treasure this moment and that he would make love to her until she reached her climax.

They spent over two hours touching each other, memorizing each other, and enjoying each other's company. Her nails dug into his shoulders when he broke past the thin protective barrier that was proof of her virginity. After the initial shock was over, she responded to each movement with her own and even wrapped her legs around his waist.

She called out his name as her head tossed from side to side when her body reached its climax. He recalled the way her back arched and her nails dug even deeper into his shoulders as she screamed her release. He remembered his own release came out as a roar as his hands gripped tightly onto her buttocks.

When he took her home that evening, her fiancé was waiting up for her in her bedroom. Varick felt his anger seethed when he saw Kareem in her room, snooping around for some evidence that she had betrayed him even though she didn't love him and would never love him. Varick could still recall Lissa telling him to leave or else Kareem might hurt him. Varick did not fear the rival male but he did fear for Lissa's safety but, for her sake, he left.

Before he left, Varick told Lissa that if she did become pregnant with his child to twist the top on the pendant and pull up. It would send a signal to his ship and he would know what it meant. She agreed to do so and Varick left that night only to watch her marry another male.

After that, he never heard from her again so he figured she wasn't pregnant with his child. He knew the chances were slim but he had always hoped that there was a possibility of her being with his child.

Now, 25 years later, he was back in the same town in which he had met Lissa. The ship was docked in the same park where they had made love at. And now his son had fallen for an ooman female. _This is going to be one long trip. I think I need to find a nice shady spot to rest before I get old before my time. Or a sledgehammer._

All reviews are welcome. I know, so far I have not used any of the Predator language. I will probably not use any Predator language because my main characters already are able to speak each others' language. But, if anyone feels as though I should add some in there please feel free to tell me. Or if I need to change something around or add a scene in there, let me know. And, on another note, I am probably not going to go into much detail about what the predators look like because we should all know that by now.


	2. Mysterious Stranger

I wish to thank everyone for their reviews and here you go. Chapter two is up for reviews. I hope everyone enjoys this chapter as much as they did the last chapter. I know I am enjoying working with each of these characters because they all have their own unique personality which makes them very enjoyable.

Chapter Two: Mysterious Stranger

This was not the first time that Melody had sensed this stranger presence and she was quite certain that it wouldn't be the last time either. This invisible man was driving her crazy. She knew it wasn't a ghost because other people in New York have said that they saw strange things that looked like a ghost but, they were not ghosts.

To Melody, they looked like water that was in the shape of a human being. She knew that humans did not have that kind of technology so; the idea of an extraterrestrial being was not to far fetch.

But, why was it following her around. She had sensed him at the bakery, watching her every move and sometimes he was at the club, hiding out on top of the large metal brace that was located near the roof.

She was thankful that she couldn't sense his presence anymore. He was scaring her to no end and that rarely happened. Especially when she was with her mother and older brother, Alex.

On Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday mornings, they all worked in the bakery, which was called M.A.M. Bakery, from five in the morning until five in the evening. After that, they all went out for dinner. On Friday and Saturday, they opened up The Koko Club from six at night until two in the morning. Sunday was the only day they had off and they always spent it together. Even though they spent everyday together, Sunday was just a very special day for them.

Melody was thankful that it was Friday; she had just spent the last six hours catering for a wedding ceremony. Even though, Friday was normally a day off from the bakery, the bride insisted on having them cater it even if it cost a little extra. They all agreed to pitch in and cater the wedding.

They spent all night baking and cooking everything. Then Melody took everything down to the church. It took her about six hours to set everything up and do any last minute touches on the cake. She was very happy that that ordeal was finally over.

Her mother and Alex were busy, all day, cleaning up the club for tonight's jamboree. They were preparing for a lot people to be there to listen to different bands and solo singers. They normally did this for three nights and only once a year. They heard new voices and old voices.

On occasion Alex and Melody would get up and sing, just for laughs. And sometimes, their mother would sing. Everybody loved it when their mother would sing. They sometimes swore that the angels blessed her with a hidden talent. She would just shrug off any compliments as though she was tired of people complimenting her but, she was always polite to everyone and told them "Thank you".

As Melody sat in the driver's seat of her old truck, she thought about the mysterious stranger who had been following her. Shaking her head, she hoped that she could shake him out of her mind. She just wished she knew what he wanted from her, besides what every other guy wanted. Something that she was not willing to do. She was planning on staying a virgin the rest of her life unless "Mr. Right" decided to crash land into her life, which she doubted.

_Maybe Mom might know who this guy is. She seems to know everything else before anyone else does and besides, her abilities are far more advanced and more finely tuned than either Alex's or my own. I hope she can answer all my questions before this guy possibly gets the chance to hurt me or my family._

As she turned down Main Street, she saw her brother outside the club, on top of a ladder. Melody could only assume that he was repairing the lights, again. Ever since they bought this place, almost five years ago, the wiring to the outside lights has never worked right. Though, Alex never seemed to mind working.

Melody pulled around to behind the club and parked it. Walking to the back entrance, she pulled out her key and unlocked the door. After entering the building, she made sure to relock the door.

"Hey sweetie. How did everything go at the wedding?" her mother asked as she carried a case of Budweiser up from the cellar.

"It was long and tedious but, other than that, it went quite well" Melody said as she walked into the dance area of the club.

"Mama?" Melody questioned as she sat down on one of the bar stools as her mother placed the case on top of the long bar.

"Yes dear, what's seems to be bothering you?"

"There's this guy. At least, I think he's a guy" Melody said, watching her mother as she tore open the case and line up the beer for tonight.

"What do you mean by that?"

"He's been following me around for the last week and he stays invisible. I don't get it. I have no idea what he wants or even why" Melody was very nervous about this stranger.

"Oh…sounds very mysterious. Have you even seen his face?" her mother asked, wondering if, by chance, that her long lost love had finally come back into her life.

Varick. She had not even once stopped thinking about him. He was her everything. He showed her an entirely new life and that anything was possible as long as you held onto your dreams and believed in yourself. Even though their new found love was short lived, they did find happiness with each other.

"Mom? You're thinking about him again" Melody said as she watched her mother's eyes become dreamy looking.

"Yeah" she said, solemnly.

"Are you ever going to tell Alex and I about it?" Melody questioned as she placed her arms on the bar and crossed them.

She laid her head down on her arms, knowing that her mother normally did not talk about her past. She especially avoided talking about Alex's real father, Varick. Their mother always told them that Varick was a great warrior who had taught her how to fight, which she gladly passed down the knowledge to her children. The way Melody saw it, is if Varick was so great why did her mother not like to discuss him.

"Alright, I'll tell you both about Varick this evening, after work" she finally relented. She knew it was past time for her to talk about Alex's father.

"Tell us both about what, Momma?" Alex came in through the back door and saw his little sister sitting on one of the bar stools and his mother standing behind the bar, lining up the bottles of beer for tonight's big show.

"Your real father. I believe it is past time for me to discuss Varick" their mother said with a sigh of resignation.

"Really! You're actually going to talk about him. When?" Alex was very excited to finally get the truth of his mother. He knew he was only half human but, unless he was cut, no one would ever have suspected a thing about him. His blood was what gave away what he was other than that, he looked very human.

His hair, which he kept neatly trimmed above his collar and above his ears, was as dark his mother and sister's and his eyes were the same deep blue as theirs. He stood a little taller than the other guys in the area but, they attributed that to one side of his family having very tall people. He barely had to work out because he was built like a weight lifter. His skin had a very nice, healthy-looking golden tan.

Many girls wanted to date him because they thought he looked like a pop singer from almost a hundred years ago named Ricky Martin. But, he was happier helping out his family when he could. He considered girls to be at the bottom of the list and his family at the top.

Ever since they packed up and left Kareem, Alex refused to leave his mother's side. He knew that if his stepfather ever found out that they came back to the United States, he would attempt to kill his mother for leaving him. The last time Kareem had dared to touch his mother; she waited until he was asleep, took a baseball bat, and then beat him senseless. That was the night that they all left on a flight home.

That was five years ago and since then; they had opened up a bakery and the club. They even bought their mother's old house on the other side of town. Everything was going perfectly and they were happy, but they also worried that Kareem might come back looking for them.

"Yes dear. I'm finally ready to talk about Varick but, I don't know how either one of you are going to handle it. We'll discuss him this evening after we get home from work"

"Okay" Alex and Melody said at the same time with a smile.

"By the way, how are those lights coming?" their mother asked as she arched an eyebrow at Alex.

"Finished. I was beginning to wonder if I was going to have to stand outside and do smoke-signals all night instead of playing guard duty" Alex chuckled as he leaned on top of the wooden bar.

"Tonight should be a really good night. We're expecting at least one hundred people to pack the dance floor. There's also going to be about ten different bands playing over the course of six hours. Are either of you two going to sing tonight?" she asked as she watched Alex and Melody grin from ear to ear.

"You better believe it" Alex stated.

"I do hope you two are not going to be wearing your work clothes around tonight" she laughed as she pointed to their filthy jeans and tee shirts. Alex was covered in grease and dirt. Melody had cake frosting and flour all over her black jeans and green shirt.

"Actually, I was planning on running around the stage without any clothes on and Alex was going to wear a loin cloth without any underwear" Melody jokingly stated as she hopped off of the bar stool and walked past Alex, knowing that she needed to change her clothes. As she walked by her brother, she poked him in the side, making him jump.

"Ok…sounds like a plan to me but, I am not responsible for the consequences of each of your actions" their mother said as she watched Melody and Alex pick on each other.

"Mom. Tell my baby sister to quick harassing me" Alex whined as he grabbed a hold of both of Melody's wrists and she snickered, deviously.

"Melody! Behave yourself! Oh, Alex, that goes for you too! You're just as guilty as your younger sister" their mother reprimanded.

She shook her head as she watched her two children wrestle around, before Melody finally got the better of Alex. Melody took her foot and hooked it around one of Alex's ankles, which brought him crashing down to the floor.

"Alright, you two brats. We have less than an hour before we open and we still need to get dressed. Alex, were you able to locate a couple more bouncers for the evening?"

"Yes Mom. Bruno and Rick said they would work for food along with their two older brothers" Alex stated as he picked himself up off the floor with Melody's help.

"Great! Melody, were you able to locate some extra bar tenders to help out with the customer orders?" their mother asked as she walked into the back bathroom to change clothes for work.

"Yeah, Carrie and Mara said they would be glad to help us out" Melody stated as she winked at Alex and then chuckled when she saw his face flush. She knew her brother had a huge crush on Carrie and the feeling was mutual but, they never said anything about it.

"Carrie's going to be here?" it was more along the lines of an exclamation than a question for Alex. He had wanted to ask Carrie out for the last six months and couldn't build up the nerve to say the words. Every time he tried to bring the subject up, he would turn about ten shades of red and become a stuttering idiot.

"Yes, I am going to be here" said a tall blonde headed girl as she walked up to Alex.

"Hey Carrie" Alex swallowed after greeting her. He couldn't believe that the girl of his dreams was actually going to work with him tonight.

"Hey handsome. How was Egypt?" Carrie asked with a smile as she felt a slight bit of flush creeping up her neck as she looked at Alex.

"It was awful. It had to be the trip from Hell" Alex exclaimed as he looked into Carrie's soft brown eyes as she gazed up, adoringly, at him. He felt like kicking himself because he couldn't find the words to ask her out.

"It couldn't have been that bad" Carrie innocently stated.

"The flight took an extra twelve hours without any television or movies. Then, the limo driver didn't even bother to show up after I called him to let him know that I had finally made it there. After that, I had to walk to my hotel, which the manager told me that I was not allowed in there because I supposedly did not have a reservation, which I did. As soon as I got the room situation straightened out, my air conditioner kicked the bucket. So I spent the last week without A/C and the temperature did not drop below a hundred degrees the whole time I was there. I thought I would never be so happy as get back home and my flight was also delayed on the way back here. So, I got home around four this morning and then first thing this morning at seven, my mom wakes me up to tell me that we're working tonight and that there's a whole bunch of stuff that needs to be fixed. I have spent my entire morning playing mechanic, electrician, and carpenter" Alex had to laugh at himself because he knew he was starting to complain like his sister.

"It could have been a lot worse. You could be dead" Carrie stated as she took off her jacket revealing her work outfit. She wore a black and hot pink electric Lycra bell-bottom pants with a matching butterfly top, which was completely open in the back, save for two tiny straps that fastened around her neck and the middle of her back. She also wore a pair of platform boots to make up for the length of the pants.

"How true" Alex said as he felt that same flush climbing back up to his face as he stared at Carrie's bare backside.

"See anything you like?" Melody questioned as she watched her brother stare at Carrie.

"Oh! I hate it when you do that" Alex complained as he walked to the back bathroom, where his change of clothes were hanging.

"So, do you really think he likes?" Carrie asked Melody.

"Definitely. I have never seen him drool so heavily over a girl in my entire life" Melody confided.

"Cool. So, what are you going to wearing tonight?" Carrie asked.

"I'm going to wear that white pants set of mine" Melody stated.

"The one with all the sequins on it?" Carrie questioned.

"Of course. It's my favorite" Melody cheerfully stated as she waited for her brother to finish primping in the bathroom.

"Hey girls. Ready for a long night?" Melody's mother asked as she gave the club one last look, making sure that everything was just right.

"You better believe it" Melody said as she looked at her mother.

She still had problems believing that her mother was almost forty and still had the body and face of a twenty year who had never had children. Basically her mother was spitting image of Melody except for the fact that she was twenty years older. Melody noticed that her mother decided to wear a pair of black hip-hugger pants that were slightly flared at the bottom along with her turquoise mid-drift shirt that had three-quarter length sleeves on it and a front that dipped provocatively low revealing just a smidge of cleavage.

"Where's Mara at?" Melody asked.

"She said she'd be here at around eight. That was the soonest she could get here because her boss has her pulling some long hours in order to finish that company database for corporate" Carrie said.

"Ok. Works for me" Melody said as she watched Alex come out of the back. He decided to wear a slightly baggy, long sleeved, shirt silk shirt with a pair of tight black pants, and a pair of sneakers. Melody had to shake her head at him. She always thought he dressed a little bit on the awkward side. Dresses sexy everywhere else except on his feet, which he seemed to enjoy being casual with. She noticed that he lightly gelled his hair and gave it a kind of piecey look to it.

"About time. I thought I was going to have strip right here" Melody joked as she walked towards the bathroom.

"Hey, it takes a lot of work to look this good" Alex sarcastically stated as he looked back at Carrie.

"I bet you think you're just such a stud" Carrie commented as she pulled her hair out of her confining bun, that she had at the base of her neck, allowing her golden blonde hair to tumble a little ways past her shoulders.

"Nah. Not unless you think I am" Alex questioned as he watched Carrie's cheeks turn bright red. He knew he shouldn't have blurted that statement out but, he couldn't resist a little bit of teasing.

"Well, you should know the answer to that" Carrie calmly stated and then noticed that Alex's face was starting to red.

"I think I do but, why don't you tell me" Alex was trying hard to say what was truly in his heart but, was unable to budge the words past the lump in his throat.

"Well, you are quite cute and a lot of fun to be around when you're not acting like an idiot" Carrie softly laughed.

"I only get that way around you, Carrie" he confessed as finally took both her hands in his and finally decided it was way past time to tell her the truth about he felt.

"Really?" she questioned as she looked up at Alex and gazed into his blue eyes. She almost felt as though she could go swimming in his eyes.

"Honestly" he confessed as he bent his head down and gently brushed his lips across hers. He heard her gasp and immediately pulled away. He was afraid he had gone too far to fast.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done that" he apologized.

"There's no need to be sorry" Carrie stated as she jumped up into his arms and kissed him back. He returned her kiss whole-heartedly, without any fear.

"Well, I guess I should say congratulations to both of you" Melody laughed out loud as she watched Alex and Carrie nearly fall over from embarrassment.

"Five minutes to show time" their mother stated as she walked into the front section of the club.

"Free food!" Bruno and Rick exclaimed as they walked through the back door.

"Wow! That pants set look fabulous in you Melody" her mother exclaimed as she watched her daughter turn around to let everyone check her out.

Melody decided to wear a white keyhole halter top with matching hip hugger bell bottom pants. Both the top and pants were accented with rhinestones. She also applied a little bit of mousse to her hair and scrunched it up to accentuate her natural waves.

"We're ready" everyone exclaimed before taking up their positions for the long night ahead of them.


	3. Of Song and Dance

Thank you all again for your reviews. And if any of you feel I have missed out on an explanation as to the "Why is Melissa still alive?" The answer to that question will be answered in chapter 4. And, as to the whereabouts of our villain, he's still alive but I am not going to reveal anything more. It will ruin future chapters. As for the musical lyrics, I have borrowed them from Marc Anthony "Balimos", Rick Martin and Christina Aguilera "Nobody Wants to be Lonely", Shakira "Whenever, Wherever", Aliyah "Try Again", Celine Dion "Because You Loved Me", "That's the way it is", "Beauty and the Beast", "Gonna Make You Happy" "Love Doesn't Ask Why"

Chapter 3: Of Song and Dance

As Tanaka and Varick surveyed their surroundings, the club music played loudly and slightly vibrated the support beam where they were positioned. Tanaka noticed a front entrance, where two ooman males were checking people in. One was fairly short and stocky with a bald head and the other was very tall with coal black hair and piercing blue eyes. Tanaka could only assume that the dark haired male was the ooman female's brother. They looked too much alike to be anything else.

There was a massive open floor that had people dancing everywhere. At the opposite end of the dance floor was a long wooden bar that was approximately twenty feet in length and about two feet wide where two females were up on top of it, dancing (Think of the movie Coyote Ugly).

One of the females was an unknown to Tanaka. The other female was the one that he had been tracking for the last week. Tanaka could not help but be entranced by the fact that both girls were able to stay on the narrow bar while performing all of their stunts. Sometimes they slide from one end of the bar to the other and sometimes they danced quite close to the edge.

Tanaka had to laugh when one of the ooman males tried to get up on the bar. The black haired girl placed her foot on his chest and gave him a hard shove. The foolish male fell off of the bar with disastrous results, only to be lifted up by the tall dark haired ooman male and escorted out the front door.

_That large male is impressive. He almost has a Yautja sense about him but, he's definitely human. Everything about him reads human except his size. He's a lot larger than any ooman male that I have ever seen._

"Father? Did you notice that large ooman male that just removed another male from the building?" Tanaka questioned his father only to see that he was focused on something else. Or should he say someone else and it wasn't the female of Tanaka's choosing. It was the one who looked exactly like her except for being a little bit older.

_Could it be, after all these years I have finally found Lissa. She still looks as lovely as the first day I met her. Oh, to be able to say something to her. But what would I say. It's been twenty-five years since the last time we spoke to each other. Wait a moment! My son is interested in her daughter. Like father, like son. Or I should say, like mother, like daughter._

"Hey there you two! What are you hunting this time? Oomans?" another predator asked as he came down through the open rafter that was located just above them.

"Bashera! You're supposed to be guarding the ship, not down here making a nuisance of yourself" Varick scowled as he looked over at Tanaka's cousin. He had to shake his head at Bashera because, he was always a prankster. Bashera never took anything seriously especially when it came to anything work related, including the hunt. That's why Bashera's father sent him with Tanaka and Varick, to see if maybe they could knock some sense into him, which they doubted.

"Yeah, well, I can't let you two have all the fun. Besides, it looks to me like these oomans really know how to throw a party" Bashera was excited at the prospect of actually being able to watch a live action human party instead of getting the reviews on one from some of the elders.

"If you're here, then who's watching the ship in your absence?" Tanaka asked as he turned his head to face his younger cousin, his long dark dreadlocks swinging and the metal bands that were wrapped around each lock gently tapped against his back and arm.

"Uh, oh. You mean I was actually supposed to have someone fill in for me while I went looking for you two. Well…I sort of have someone filling in"

"Who would that be?" Varick asked.

"Zalmai" Bashera said just barely above a whisper.

"Ki'cte. You let a young blood…he's not even a young blood. Take the watch. Have you lost your mind?" Varick growled as he quickly turned his head, the metal bands on his dreadlocks made a "clinking" sound when they hit part of his armor.

"What? He's not that young. He just hasn't hit the age where he can go on a hunt" Bashera knew he had messed up but, he didn't want to be a babysitter.

He had never even been given the chance to go on a hunt and he knew he was past the age. Every time he asked about hunting, he was told that he needed to "Grow up" a bit more before asking. He was only about a hundred years younger than Tanaka and Tanaka went on his first real hunt when he was two hundred. Bashera had yet to even be given the chance to hunt humans for sport.

"By the way. Why are you two here?" Bashera asked, hoping to change the subject of his little mishap.

"Tanaka is interested in courting and this time it happens to be a little ooman female that has caught his eye" Varick stated, hating the fact that Bashera changed the subject.

"Oh! Which one? There must be over fifty females in here" Bashera questioned as he looked over the entire room. He had never seen so many females together in his life.

"The young dark haired female that is dancing on the bar with those two other females" Varick said as he pointed Bashera's head in the right direction.

"Wow! I have never seen that before" Bashera exclaimed as his eyes widened when he watched the light haired female do a split on the bar without even struggling.

One of the other two females, the dark haired one, was pouring alcohol over one end of the bar, while the other one bent over and retrieved a box of matches. The brunette that picked up the box of matches lit one and dropped it onto the alcohol wet bar. Bashera watched as the dark headed female jumped up and grabbed a hold of a pipe, that ran about six and half above the bar and pulled herself up.

The dark haired female crawled her way over to a water faucet and turned it on. Water sprayed everywhere, extinguishing the flames. She let herself down, allowing the smoke to envelope her and the water to drench her. After the flames were gone, she reached up and turned off the water. She closed her eyes, wiped off her face with her hands, and then shook her dark mane, splashing water everywhere. She threw her hair forward and then slung it back, allowing the wet tresses to flow down her back like a black wavy cape. She turned her head, smiled at the male crowd that had gathered around the bar, and then tossed her hair around, allowing them to look but not touch.

Tanaka could not believe his eyes. He had never seen anything more seductive than this female with her tease but don't please attitude. He watched the way her clothes stuck to her like a second skin. Her hair hung down her back in loose sultry waves. Her ruby red lips curved upwards in a delicate smile as she gazed at the crowd before looking briefly up in his direction. Her blue eyes grew wide for a moment and then she smiled at him, almost as though she sensed he was admiring her.

"That's one look that I have never seen before" Bashera stated as he watched his cousin's gaze follow the dark haired female.

"Don't you have something better to do with your time then be here" Tanaka asked, trying to keep his annoyance under wraps.

"Nope, actually I have nothing to do" Bashera stated.

"Then will you please find something to do" Varick stated, gruffly.

"Sure. I can…I can… I know I can go check out all the different kinds of male competition they have in this place" Bashera said as he made himself invisible and started to creep along the large metal support beam.

"Don't go hunting. Tonight is just for observation only!" Varick ordered, hoping that Bashera would not expose himself or get himself into any kind of trouble before the night was over with.

"Do think he'll listen?" Tanaka asked with a sigh of resignation as he looked towards his father for an answer.

"This is your cousin and my nephew that we are discussing, so…no" Varick stated, hoping for once that Bashera would prove him wrong, but he doubted it very seriously. Bashera was always getting into trouble with someone or something that was bigger and stronger than him.

"How true" Tanaka agreed as he focused his attention back on the female that he had been watching. As he watched, he noticed that she was picking up a headset that had a microphone attached to it. _Is she going to make a speech? _

"Hey everyone! I hope you all are having a good time tonight. My brother, Alex, has decided to sing tonight. So, let's give him a big round of applause" the female said as the large dark haired male climbed up onto the bar and grabbed a microphone. Tanaka could hear some music starting up and "Alex" began to sing from his heart.

(Marc Anthony----Balimos).

Tanaka listened as people began to cheer for more of his singing and he had to agree, the male was not a bad singer. His voice was soft and filled with emotion and it flowed into his song, which is something that he had never heard in any other ooman singer.

"Okay, alright. This time, my sister, Melody, will sing with me" Alex stated with a flashing smile.

"Okay, big brother, you win. This time" Melody said as she smiled at Alex.

(Ricky Martin and Christina Aguleira---Nobody wants to be loney)

The crowd was going crazy and screaming at the top of their lungs. Tanaka had never seen such a display of human emotion before. At least, not in a room this size with so many humans around.

"Father, is something wrong?" Tanaka asked as he watched his father watch the older dark haired female ooman that was still behind the bar serving drinks and smiling cheerfully, her blue eyes were sparkling just like Melody. _Ah, at least now he had her first name to go on. Melody, it was as beautiful as her voice and her. Why hadn't I thought of that before? And what is father doing? _Tanaka thought as he watched his father stay completely focused on the older dark haired female. He thought she was quite lovely but, he already made up his mind that Melody was the female that he wanted. He could understand his father's fascination with the older female but, what he couldn't understand was why he was looking at her as though he had known for a long time or he was remembering her from the past.

"Not really. I think I know her but, I'm not sure" Varick stated as he crept along several support beams until he rested on top of one that was located directly above the bar. Tanaka followed closely behind, watching carefully as the older female walked back and forth along the floor, refilling empty mugs and grabbing fresh bottles of malt liquor.

"Father, if you get to close, you're liable to be seen and cause a panic amongst these oomans" Tanaka stated but, he knew it was like talking to a brick wall. Just not working.

That's when Tanaka watched the female stop in her tracks and look up to where his father was positioned. He couldn't believe it; she actually smiled up at his father and whispered something to him. That's when heard his father ask her for a dance on the next slow song, during her break. He told he didn't care if it was in public or in private; he just wanted one dance with her. To Tanaka's amazement, she said yes and spoke his father's name.

_How does she know my father? How did she know he was there? And, more importantly, why did she say yes? But, father doesn't know how to dance, at least not the ooman way or does he. I know there are many things that my father has never told me about, especially when it came to his last visit on this back-water planet that the oomans call "Earth"._

POV:

_I don't believe it, he's actually come back and he's here. I do hope my face isn't turning bright red. I can't believe that he actually wants to dance with me after all these years. It's obvious that he still cares about me and is still in love with me but, can he handle the truth that he has another son who looks human. Would Alex be able to handle the truth that his father has returned after all these years? Why is he here? It can't be time for the kv'var. That's not for another seventy-five years. Then what is the purpose that brings him back. How did he find me after all these years? Wait, of course, one of his clan members is interested in Melody! Now which one is it?_

"Mom, why are your cheeks so pink?" Melody asked as she watched the color stain her mother's cheeks.

"Oh, that's nothing. Just feeling a little bit on the warm side" warm was a mild understatement for how Melissa was feeling at that very moment. She was surprised that her clothes weren't melting off of her.

"Uh, you did happen to notice that we have some unexpected visitors up on the support beams?" Melody asked as she pointed upwards.

"Yes, I am not senile. Not yet anyway" Melissa laughed as she began to juggle two beer bottles around before breaking the tops on each of them and pouring them into a couple of glass mugs.

"I never said that" Melody chuckled as she took two bottles of hard liquor, one scotch and the other one was vodka, and lined up ten shot glasses, two rows of five. Then she unscrewed the tops on both bottles and poured the both bottles at the same time, filling the shot glasses.

Melody could feel a set of eyes upon her. She had felt them all night. Especially when she was dancing on top of the bar. They were watching her every move and admiring her in every way. This made Melody feel warm and her body tingled at the thrill of this mysterious stranger who watched her very carefully.

"Let's see, it's almost time to start taking some breaks. We've been at this for almost four hours. Let's start with Carrie and Alex taking breaks first. After them, I want you and Rick to take your break. Then Mara and Bruno. Lastly, will be Bruno and Rick's two brothers. I will take mine after everyone else has taken there's. Breaks will last no more than thirty minutes. Agreed" Melissa stated to Melody and the other three girls behind the counter.

"Agreed" They said and unison. They all knew why they had to take breaks with at least one of the bouncers. Mara was almost accosted by a drunken patron about six months ago. If it hadn't been for Bruno coming at the time he did, then they wouldn't know what could have happened to her.

"Carrie, you go grab Alex and tell him it's time for break" Melissa stated as she continued to fill up more beer mugs.

"Ok" Carrie cheerfully stated as she walked across the floor, all the while setting her watch to go off in thirty minutes.

**Two and a half hours later**

"Okay mom. It's time for your break. Go relax before you put us all to shame" Melody stated as she shooed her mother out from behind the bar, knowing that she was going to be well protected by the large humanoid who was sticking to the rafters.

That was, until she looked up and only saw the one up there. He just shrugged his shoulders at her, basically saying "You're guess is as good as mine". Just then, that's when she turned her head and saw the other one. He was holding out his hand to her mother and she went straight to him.

Melody watched as he placed one hand around her mother's waist and took her other hand in his as she placed her hand on his shoulder. Melody had not realized how big he was until he stood there beside her mother. She guessed he had to be close to seven feet tall and weigh almost three hundred pounds of pure muscle. She had to admit, he was certainly light on his feet.

It amazed Melody that no one seemed to notice him. She had to laugh because he was probably the biggest man in this room and he was only wearing a metal loin cloth with some strange mesh shirt. On one hip, he carried what looked like a large golden club and on the other was some sort of Chinese looking weapon, which was also gold in color. Now, whether or not they were real gold, Melody had no idea and was not about to ask. She was just glad that her mom was happy being in his arms.

POV:

It had been such a long time since she had felt this wonderful. He was treating her as though she was fifteen again and she loved him more than anything for it. Melissa knew that now that Varick was here, she was going to have to tell him about Alex. His son. But how was she going to explain everything to Varick and make the introductions. She knew that they were going to be awkward at best.

"Such deep thoughts, my beautiful Lissa" Varick said as he held her close to him. He could smell the scent of her arousal and it was driving him crazy to be this close to her without being able to mate with her again. He knew she felt the same way just by the way her body scent was filling up his nostrils.

As Melissa felt Varick's hand pull her closer to him, she could smell the evidence of his desire for her. It was a scent that she could never forget. It was the scent of musk. Strong and intoxicating. That, along with the combination of a couple of drinks that some of the male clients had insisted on buying her.

Varick was trying to keep himself in check as he leaned over and buried his masked face into her dark hair, breathing in heavily. This wasn't his home planet where he could take Melissa away from here and show her how much he wanted her.

He could just barely hear the music, but to him it made sense. It was very true for the both of them. He still couldn't believe that it had been twenty-five years since the last time he held in his arms. Since he was able to touch her without worrying if what he was feeling was right or wrong.

"You could say that. Varick, I have missed you so much. How long are you in town for?" Melissa asked as she pulled herself closer to him, allowing her covered breasts to press into his massive chest.

"I'm here until the job is done" Varick stated as he groaned, inwardly, when he felt her nipples become hard and rub against him.

"What job would that be?" Melissa asked, trying to keep the conversation going for fear that this might be the last time she would ever see him again.

"Some ooman has found a nest of kainde amedha, hard meat. My crew and I have been sent here to make sure that they are not released upon the Earth" Varick stated.

"Do you know who found the nest?" Melissa asked.

"Not yet. We are still trying to find a possible trail and then when we find it, we plan on hunting" Varick said.

"Let me come along with you on the hunt" Melissa begged.

"I kind of figured that you would say something along those lines. Okay, you may come" Varick agreed, knowing that there was finally a possibility that they could be together.

"By the way. Where is Kareem at?" Varick finally asked.

"Not here. I left him after I took a baseball bat to him almost five years ago. I know he's still alive because no one has reported his body being dead… or alive for that matter. So, better to be safe than sorry, I assume he's alive and well and plotting his revenge against me" Melissa chuckled as she laid her head against Varick's shoulder, enjoying the feel of him.

"Why did you leave him?" Varick asked.

"I'll have to tell you later, when we have more time. It will be an all night story and possibly even more than a story" Melissa smiled up at him with a teasing look in her dark blue eyes.

"When and where?" Varick asked in a hushed voice.

"You remember where I used to live at with my parents. Same house, same room. Meet me just before sunrise. I'll leave the window open for you" Melissa grinned as she kissed the cheek of his metal mask.

"I wouldn't miss it" Varick stated as he stopped dancing and just held onto Melissa, hoping that this wasn't a dream. That he was finally going to get a second chance with the female who changed his life and made him feel what love was like. Made him want to finally have a monogamous relationship with a female.  
(Celine Dion---Love doesn't ask why)

As the song ended, Melissa went back to work and Varick disappeared back up into the rafters. His eyes never leaving his beautiful Lissa. He felt like a young blood that had just discovered that females were different from males. His heart was racing as thought about meeting her in the early morning hours and being able to finally climb into her bed. That thought made him break out in a sweat.

"So, father, when did you learn how to dance like the oomans? And, do you know that female?" Tanaka asked.

"I'll tell you later. It's going to be a long night and an even longer morning" Varick stated as he smiled to himself. It was finally time for confessions of the past, present, and possible future.

Chapter four should be up by this weekend, as long as my inspiration for true love holds out.


	4. Confessions

I wish to thank every one again for all their great reviews and their wonderful support. For those who want a tasteful love scene…you guys are going to get it after a good quickie. Hell, it's been twenty-five years for Varick; you don't actually expect him to maintain control on the first go around.

Chapter 4: Confessions

"That's it for tonight. We'll meet back here tomorrow afternoon at around four. That should give all of us enough time to get ready and set everything up here at the club. Let's all go home and try to get some sleep" Melissa stated as she walked with Alex and Melody to the back door. Everyone else followed to make sure they all made it to their vehicles in one piece.

"We'll see you all tomorrow. Same time, same place" Melissa stated as she opened the door to her large blue van and climbed in.

"We'll meet you at the house, mom" Melody said as she climbed into the passenger side of her truck and Alex climbed in the driver's side. Alex knew that his sister was very exhausted so, he insisted on driving home and she was too tired to argue with him.

"Okay, see you two kids shortly" Melissa stated as she started up her van and began to drive home.

Melissa still had a hard time believing that Varick had finally returned and was going to see her very soon. He was always true to his word and a perfect gentleman. She still had not forgotten her promise to her children to finally tell them the whole story of Varick and herself, as well as the full story of her arranged marriage. She knew it wasn't going to be easy but, it was something that needed to be done. _And, while I am at it, make a large pot of regular coffee, not decaf. We're all going to need it because; this is going to be a long tale._

One Hour Later:

Melissa, Melody, and Alex were all home and dressed for bed. As soon as Melissa arrived, she started up a pot of coffee and had three cups lined up. It was a little chilly tonight so, Alex started a fire while Melody grabbed a couple of blankets and pillows. Melissa walked into the living room with a tray that had the three cups of coffee, a couple of peanut butter sandwiches, and some chocolate chip cookies. Melissa sat the tray down on the coffee table while Melody and Alex grabbed their blankets and pillows. Melody sat down on the love seat, Alex lay down on the couch, and Melissa sat down on a chair.

"Are you two ready to hear this?" Melissa asked her two children as they each grabbed a cup of coffee and one sandwich.

"You better believe it!" Alex said, excitedly.

"Alright, here it goes. Let's take a step back in time to when I was nearing my fifteenth birthday" Melissa started to say.

Flashback:

As Melissa walked home from Catholic School one sunny Friday afternoon, she noticed that she was being followed by three young men. She was hoping that if she ignored them they would go away but, this was not the case. She heard them whispering back and forth between each other. One of them even whistled at her and started making some very obscene remarks about how he would like to have her on her hands and knees, praying.

Melissa continued to ignore them until they finally came up beside her and dragged her into one of the alleys. She began to kick and scream. She even managed to kick one of them square between the legs. After he recovered from the shock, he backhanded her across the face while his other two friends held her steady. That's when he drug out a knife and told her to be quiet or else he would slit her throat.

Melissa felt her hot tears running down the sides of her face and when she looked up, she saw what appeared to be water. That's when she heard what sounded like swords being pulled out and a loud growl. The man with the knife turned around and turned white as a sheet, just before the creature ran the blades through his body and shoved.

Melissa could see the blood dripping out the man's backside and became frightened when the water-like creature slung the man's body down the alley. That's when he came for the other two men. One, he politely removed his head and the other one; he rammed a spear through his chest. Melissa thought he was going to come after her next but, instead, he began to walk away.

"Wait!" Melissa stated as she held out her hand hoping that whatever it was would stop and it did.

"Thank you, for saving my life. Please, what's your name?" Melissa asked as she walked up to the creature. She watched as the creature became visible and she could see how massive he was.

He wore nothing more than a metal loin cloth, a woven shirt, and a metal mask over his face. His spear was attached to one leg, a large round disk was positioned above a golden disk, and some sort of cannon was on his shoulder. She could see that he towered over her. She assumed that he must stand at least seven feet tall and weigh close to three hundred pounds of pure muscle. His waist length hair was pulled neatly back into smooth dreadlocks with metal bands around each one. He also wore many skulls and bones across his chest. On his helmet, he had a symbol etched into the metal. Melissa could see quite a bit of his skin and she thought it looked like a pale yellow color with dark green freckles. On both of his hands, he had long almost claw-like nails that were black in color.

"I am called Varick, little one" he stated as he examined the tiny ooman female. He could see that she was quite lovely for an ooman. She had coal black hair that was parted down the center and plaited on either side. Her large sapphire blue eyes were wide with curiosity as she gazed at him. Her full pink lips were slightly parted. She wore a crisp white long sleeved cotton shirt that was neatly tucked into a knee length navy blue skirt. She wore a pair of navy blue low heeled shoes with a pair of white knee high stockings. From what little he could see of her skin, it was the color of peaches and cream. Too soft and inviting for his liking.

"My name's Melissa. Melissa Louise Sinclair" Melissa cheerfully said as she held out her hand. She could sense that he was confused by her gesture.

"My kind does not use last names. I am merely called Captain Varick" Varick said as he took a hold of her hand and immediately felt the electricity dance between them. He had never felt anything like it before in his life.

"I must be going. My crew might need me" Varick gruffly stated as he released her hand and turned to leave.

"Why do you wear a mask?" Melissa asked as she followed him.

"You would not understand. You are too young" Varick said.

"I am a lot smarter than people give me credit for. So, try me" Melissa persisted.

"It helps me to breathe your atmosphere as well as enables me to see body heat of others. Plus, it keeps me from frightening off the natives" Varick chuckled slightly as he spoke the last part of his statement. He could see the amused look on Melissa's face as her lush lips turned upwards and smiled at him.

"Oh come on, you can't possibly scare people that easily" Melissa said, not realizing what she was getting herself into.

"You would be surprised. You should go home. Your family is probably worrying about you" Varick stated as he lifted up his arm and opened up the device on his forearm.

"Will I ever see you again? I would like to know more about you" Melissa asked as she looked up at him.

"The future is uncertain. You may see me, you may not. It just depends on the mood I am in" Varick said. He was becoming very impatient with Melissa persistence. He had to admit, he admired her spirit and her fearlessness. It was a quality that had never been seen in an ooman before, especially a female ooman.

"Show me what you look like and then I'll go home" Melissa said with a large smile. She hadn't realized she was flirting with him until the thought popped into his head. She sometimes hated being able to read minds because there were very few surprises in her life.

"You will not like what you see, Lissa" Varick hadn't realized that he had given her a pet name until he said it and then it was to late to take it back. Her eyes became wide and her smile became larger with satisfaction.

"You won't know until you try" Melissa softly stated as she watched him.

"Follow me" Varick reluctantly said as he walked into a dark portion of the alley, avoiding the male bodies that he knew he had to dispose of later on but, decided to wait until Lissa left before taking trophies. He looked behind him and saw that Lissa was tagging very closely to him.

"Okay. This is as good a spot as any. You must not scream. I will not hurt you" Varick said as he watched her nod her head in compliance before taking a hand and pulling the two tubes that ran on the side of the mask. He carefully pulled his mask off and watched as her eyes grew wide with fear. He knew it was a bad idea but, he had to prove a point to her. That's when he noticed that her eyes returned back to normal and her hands went to the sides of his face.

"Is all of your kind like this or is it just you?" Melissa asked as she looked into his hazel eyes and saw a sort of softness about them.

"This is the way a Yautja looks" Varick stated as he felt her tiny hands run over his mandibles, gently touching the four teeth. _She has no fear of me. That is strange. Maybe this ooman is different from other oomans. _Varick thought as he looked at Melissa as she removed her hands from his face and slid them down over his shoulders. She was checking him out to see if he was real or not. If this had been a Yautja female, Varick would have quickly mated with her but, she was not. She was an ooman female who was not fully grown and yet showed no fear of him, except for a brief moment when he removed his mask and now she was comfortable with his appearance. So comfortable, in fact, that she very carefully moved her hands over him, feeling the texture of his skin.

"Am I making you uncomfortable?" Melissa asked when she saw the odd look he was giving her, as though he was questioning her motives.

"If you were one of my kind, I would have already mated with you but, since you are not, I must maintain my composure" he said calmly but he saw the shocked expression on her face and felt her tiny hands still on his arms.

"I take it that you are not used to someone telling you exactly what is going through their minds. Nor are you used being around males or else you would have known what your actions can do to a male, especially if you were in heat" Varick teased and then gently removed her hands from him.

"You're right on both accounts" Melissa said as she felt the blush creep up into her cheeks. She had never heard anyone say anything along those lines and here this stranger was telling her things about "mating". Of course, she couldn't blame him; she did put her hands on him first.

"I will escort you home" Varick said as he placed his mask back on.

"Are you out of your mind? What if you were seen by one of my own kind? You would scare the hell out of them" Melissa stated.

"Then I guess I will carry you across the rooftops" Varick was enjoying teasing the little female.

"And how do you propose to do that?" Melissa asked.

"Like this" Varick stated as he bent down and scooped her up into his arms.

"Oh my" Melissa thought her toes were probably turning red from the entire blush she was feeling.

"You will have to hold onto me and I will climb up" Varick stated.

"I can't believe I have just met Tarzan. King of the Urban Jungle" Melissa mumbled to herself as she wrapped her arms around Varick's neck and closed her eyes.

She felt Varick begin to scale the side of the brick building. She opened up her eyes just as they reached the top of the building. She felt his hand on her bottom, through her skirt, giving her a gentle nudge up onto the ledge. She pulled herself the rest of the way up and scraped her knee open on one of the bricks.

"Ouch!" Melissa yelped as she stood up and saw that she had cut herself.

"Are you alright?" Varick asked but, noticed that she was bleeding on her knee.

"No" Melissa whimpered as she sat down and held her leg, just below the knee. _Great, dad's going to want to know what happened to me. I have a bruise on my face, a busted lip, and now a busted knee. What a way to start the weekend? And, on top of which, I have finally met Tarzan. Which, even though he's not the most attractive man I've met, he's treated me with a lot of respect and has been very careful to see to my safety._

"Hold still. I might have something to help with that bruise on your face and maybe help heal some of your cuts" Varick stated as he knelt down in front of her. He knew she wasn't dressed for this kind of work. She was dressed like a little princess who was trying to be an adult.

"Thank you. It seems as though I am going to be thanking you a lot" Melissa watched, curiously, as Varick pulled out a small round disk and then laid his hand over the top of it. It opened up to reveal needles and all sorts of healing medicines.

"That is fine" Varick stated as he pulled out a bag filled with a white powder and empty the powder into the center of the dish. Then he took one of the syringes filled with a blue liquid and empties it on top of the powder. He took a metal spatula and mixed the products together.

"This will burn a little but, it should heal you very quickly" Varick said as he watched her eyes grow wide with intrigue as he took hold of her leg and gently spread the blue mixture over her scraped knee.

He watched as she held back a scream when the chemicals began to set to work on healing her leg. He saw a tear trickle down the side of her face and reached up a hand. He placed his hand on the side of her face and used his thumb to wipe away the stray tear. He knew that this medicine burned when it hit an open wound but, watching her deal with the pain took on a whole new meaning for him. She was holding back the scream that threatened to burst forward through her clenched teeth.

"Ouch" Melissa whimpered as soon as the stuff quit burning. When she finally looked down at her knee, she saw that it was completely healed up with a small trace of the blue chemical remaining on the outer edges of the once cut knee. She looked back up at Varick and smile sweetly.

"A little late for that isn't it?" Varick chuckled as he watched her expression. She became very serious at first, as though she was contemplating his words, and then she laughed out loud. It was all he could to hold his laughter back but, in the end, he laughed with her.

"I know. I just wanted to see if you were paying attention" she chuckled as she began to move her knee and found that she felt no pain what so ever.

"How does my face look? Do I have any bruises on it or was I lucky enough not to get any?" Melissa asked as she placed a hand on the side of her face, where she felt a slight soreness next to her mouth. She gingerly used her tongue to test the corner of her mouth and she tasted a little bit of blood.

"You're face is beautiful and you do not have any bruises but, you do have a slight cut at the corner of your mouth" Varick couldn't believe he had just told her that she was beautiful.

"Thank you. Now what do you say we get going so I can be home before my mom decides to call the cops" Melissa stated as she looked over at the other buildings and wondered how they were going to get from here to her home.

"I agree" Varick calmly stated as he lifted her up into his arms.

"I live over that way. Next to the tallest building, there's a house with a large backyard and many trees. That's where I live" Melissa quickly provided the information.

"Then, let us be on our way" Varick stated as he took a running start and leapt from the building they were on onto another building.

To Melissa, Varick never seemed to be tired. He had more energy than she could ever dream of having in her lifetime. He was well built and much taller than her but, at the same time, she didn't feel intimidated by his large form. Even though his size alone should have frightened her off but it didn't.

Varick continued at the pace he was at until he reached her backyard. He thought it had to be the quietest place he had ever seen. There was a two story home log home that was surrounded by trees. The backyard had lush green grass and a hammock positioned between a couple of trees.

"I must go before I am seen" he said as he placed her down, making sure her feet landed on the ground before he turned and vanished.

_I hope I'll see you again, Varick._ Melissa thought as she walked into her home through the downstairs sliding glass door, which opened into the living room.

"Hey mom!" she said to her mother who was in the kitchen making dinner. As soon as she entered the kitchen, that's when she felt her mother's anger and she knew it had to be something her father had done, again.

"Oh, thank goodness you're home" she said to Melissa as she turned around and saw that her daughter's clothes were stained and she had a small cut on the corner of her lip.

"Don't ask mom. I'll explain everything after I get cleaned up and dressed for supper" Melissa supplied, knowing her mom was going to probe her mind to get the information.

"Alright. Go quickly and take a shower before your father sees you" she quickly stated.

"I'll be back in thirty minutes or less" Melissa chuckled as she quickly ran up the stairs and grabbed a pair of blue jeans and a dark green tee shirt. She couldn't wait to tell her mom about Varick and how he saved her life. He had to be, in her eyes, the bravest man she had ever met and the noblest. Her heart kept skipping a beat whenever she thought about how he had saved her from those three men.

Walking down the hall, she heard her father coming in and with him was Kareem. She hated him with a passion. She hated his money and how he flaunted it at her. As far she was concerned, she thought he flaunted his cash hoping to get a little piece of ass, which was something she was not about to do.

As soon as Melissa entered the bathroom, she immediately closed and locked the door. She didn't trust Kareem as far as she could throw him. She quickly stripped off her clothes and started the shower. Melissa quickly unbraided her hair and ran her fingers through it, attempting to remove any tangles. Looking in the mirror, she saw a small cut on her lip and lots of filth on her face.

"Of all days to meet a man, I have to meet one looking like I just came out of a dumpster" Melissa grumbled as she turned away from the mirror and stepped into the shower, hoping to wash away any evidence of what almost happened in the alley. Her mother would know but, it was best that her father didn't. He had a tendency to overreact to everything.

One hour later:

Melissa sat at the dinner table with her mother, father, and Kareem. Her mother quickly informed her of her marriage to Kareem and how it all came about. Apparently, her father had been drinking and gambled way too much money. Kareem just so happened to be there and convinced her father to sign a contract, which her father did without any hesitation.

Where Varick was ugly on the outside, he was gentle and caring on the inside. Kareem and Varick were as opposite as night and day. Where Varick was tall and well built, Kareem was short and rather rotund. Melissa did not find anything stimulating about Kareem, where Varick beamed with an excessive amount.

Kareem had mousey brown hair and dark brown eyes. Melissa always thought he wore the same suit every day. Black slacks, white silk shirt, black tie, and a black blazer. Melissa felt as though he's clothing was as drab as him.

So, instead of her being able to find her own husband, her father had gambled her away to the one man she despised. Kareem may have been smart but, he lacked a lot of common sense when it came to women. Every time he was over at her home, he made it perfectly clear that one of these days her father was going to mess things up and that the only way out would be through him. He also told her that he planned to make sure of that.

As she sat there and listened to her father and Kareem discuss the wedding plans, Melissa's mind was drawn someplace else. It was still drawn on Varick, the warrior who had saved her life. As she thought about him, she toyed with the peas on her plate. Then she heard her mother clear her throat and then leaned over.

"Your mind is on Varick isn't it?" her mother questioned, with her mind, when she saw that dreamy far off look in her daughter's eyes.

"Yes, it is. I can't believe father did this to me!" Melissa's mind screamed and her mother heard it but remained emotionless, as to not give away what they thought or felt about the whole situation.

"I know dear. Why don't you go lie down and rest for a little while? It will probably make you feel a little better" her mother's mind said as she nodded gently to Melissa.

"Thanks mom" Melissa spoke softly as she stood up and said good night to everyone but instead of going to her room, she went outside into the backyard.

"Just where do you think you're going my little pet" Kareem asked as he watched Melissa walked away from the table, her body went completely stiff as soon as he spoke.

"I am not your little pet and nor shall you refer to me in such a familiar tone, Mr. Walker" Melissa said as she bit off each word, hating the fact of having to at least be starchingly polite.

"Humph" was all Melissa heard as soon as she slid the sliding glass door closed.

**About Midnight:**

As Melissa tossed and turned in her bed, she kept having nightmares about her wedding night. It didn't feel like what she thought a wedding night should feel like. It was cold and ruthless and completely horrible. Melissa felt her body stiffen every time her mind dreamt of Kareem touching her.

That was when Melissa finally woke up when she felt a comforting presence just outside her bedroom window. She knew it was Varick. As she climbed out of her bed and pulled on her bathrobe, she could feel his mind calling to her.

Melissa opened her bedroom window and climbed out onto the balcony. He was no where to be seen. That was until she looked up to the roof and saw him. She smiled up at him. She could see the full moon shining its silvery light down.

"Couldn't sleep?" Varick asked as soon as he saw Melissa. He couldn't believe how lovely she looked in the moonlight.

"No. I've had a really rough night since you dropped me off" Melissa solemnly spoke as she lowered her eyes down to her bare feet.

"Do you wish to talk about it?" Varick asked as he slid quietly down the roof and came to stand on the balcony beside Melissa. He placed a hand under her chin and turned her eyes back up to him.

"You know what? That sounds like a great idea but, do think we can go someplace private to talk. My parents are asleep and I would hate to accidentally wake them up" Melissa said as she felt the heat of his hand under her chin.

"Yes but, please change into something a little more suitable for going across the rooftops with" Varick softly chuckled.

"Give me two minutes to change and I'll be out in a jiff" Melissa stated as she climbed back into her room and grabbed the clothes and shoes she had on earlier. She quickly changed and met Varick back on the balcony. She turned around for his inspection and he nodded his head in approval.

"That will work" Varick stated as he climbed back onto the roof and then reached over the edge to lift Melissa up. Lifting her up into his arms, he quickly and quietly made his way back to the park where his ship was dock. The park was located on the other side of town.

"Wow that was quick. I barely felt you move" Melissa stated as she sat down on the dew covered grass and Varick sat down beside her.

"It is our way. Move quickly as though we have a hundred hard meats on our tails" Varick joked but then noticed the confused look on Melissa's face and began to explain the entire story of the hard meat and of the hunt. Melissa accepted it and even asked if she could come along on one of his hunts. He laughed and said that he would have to train her before she went. That's when she begged him to train her and he agreed. He had never trained an ooman before but, he thought if she was willing to learn then he was willing to teach.

"Now, I believe the reason why we came here was because of you not me" Varick reminded Melissa and that's when she explained about her upcoming marriage to a male she despised more than anything. She told Varick that she would rather face all the hard meats in the galaxy than have to marry Kareem.

Varick understood exactly where Melissa was coming from. He pressed her further for why she was up so late and she told him about the nightmare she had. Varick wished he had the power to alter her future but, he didn't. The only thing he could was to prepare her for it and hoped that her father would reconsider. Varick knew he would gladly take Melissa as his mate. She had a strong fighter's spirit and a determination unlike any other female he had ever seen.

Varick then began to relate his tale of his arranged marriage to a very lovely Yautja female that he did not love. He cared greatly for her and respected her but, he could not bring his heart to feel the way he should have about her. He then told Melissa about his mate's death almost a hundred years ago, which is something that he never willingly told anyone. He also told her about his adopted son, Tanaka.

Varick explained that Tanaka's parents had both been killed by some of the "bad bloods" and that Tanaka was the sole survivor of it. Tanaka was not related to Varick or Varick's mate in any way except by the adoption. Varick also explained that Tanaka had just lost his wife to a "bad blood" and he was grieving.

"Oh you poor thing" Melissa softly stated as she placed a comforting hand on Varick's knee and then realized that she shouldn't touch him in such a familiar way.

Varick looked over at Melissa with a look that he had not given another female in his entire life. They both had their share of sadness running through their lives; even though their tales were different they shared a common bond. Varick had never once thought an ooman female could be beautiful until he met Melissa and now he knew what he had been missing out on his entire life. Love. Something that his society had taken for granted for the sake of mating and here he was finding it with Melissa.

He knew they could never marry her because she betrothed to another but, he knew he could make memories with her that would last his entire life. He would never mate with her unless she asked him to and Varick knew he would have to make absolutely sure that she was ready and willing. He would not just mate with her for easing an ache within himself; he wanted to ease any aches that she had to. Even though, that was not something that a Yautja male would do but, he was willing to try something new but, she had to be willing.

"I should be getting you back to your home. It is nearly dawn" Varick stated as he stood up and helped Melissa to stand.

"Okay" Melissa said as she felt Varick lift her up into his arms and start to carry her back home.

By the time Varick got to Melissa's house, she had fallen asleep in his arms and it was almost seven o'clock. He quietly climbed through her window and laid her down on top of her bed. Just as he turned to go he heard the door open and saw a woman who looked like Melissa.

"Don't worry, I already know where you have been. I will not say a word" Melissa's mother telepathically told Varick.

"Do not speak because all you need to do is think and I can read your thoughts" she communicated into his mind.

"Thank you. How did you know she was gone before her father?" Varick silently questioned.

"No questions now. Melissa will answer everything for you tonight. That is, if you will be here tonight?"

"Yes, I hope so. As long as nothing goes wrong" Varick walked back to the window and climbed out, determined to head back to his ship and get a couple hours worth of sleep before this afternoon's hunt. He knew they didn't have much time before the eggs hatched and he still promised Melissa that he would train her. _Blast, my schedule is getting tighter than what I normally allow it to get. And why I am deciding to get involved with the little ooman female? Good question. I have yet to find an answer to it. I must be getting tired because I am getting into an argument with myself and I may just lose. And how was it that her mother was able to communicate with me through my mind? Now that is another good question._

Varick argued with himself until he reached his ship, Star Gazer. He was totally exhausted both physically as well as emotionally. His mental state was falling just as rapidly from lack of sleep over the past week. But, at the same time, he was at peace with himself. He had finally talked about his feelings with someone who understood. It also helped that she was very lovely and gentle.

"About time you got back" one of the younger warriors spoke.

"Wake me in four hours. I am going to lie down for that time. If anyone wakes me before then, I will have them shot on sight" Varick ordered and he closed the door to his room, allowed all of his armor to fall to the floor, and then immediately collapsed on the bed. He was asleep in minutes, dreaming about Lissa.

**Two months later:**

Since that night, Varick and Melissa had settled into a routine. She spent from ten at night until four in the morning with Varick. She normally went to bed at about three in the afternoon and slept until it was almost time for Varick to show up. As soon as she came home from her date with Varick, she went back to bed and slept until seven. She spent from about eight in the morning until two in the afternoon with her mother and sometimes with Kareem. Melissa was trying to make an attempt at getting along with him but, it wasn't working.

The nights that Melissa spent with Varick, he began to teach her many new things. She learned how to fight and how to use the double-bladed spear. He taught her how to throw his shriekan. She even picked up the language very quickly. She even had the fun thrill of participating in the hunt, which the other warriors admired her willingness. She even killed at least ten hard meats. After the hunt, there was a great celebration in which Varick branded her with the hard meat blood. He didn't mark her on her face; he placed the mark on the upper portion of her outer thigh.

For her part, she introduced Varick to some Earth customs and he even became game enough to try a lot of the food. Of course, she also ate his food as well. She even taught him how to dance, which they both laughed when he accidentally stepped on one of her feet and then they fell on the grass.

She even told Varick about her abilities of telepathy, which he seemed to be very comfortable with. In fact, he relished the idea of not always having to speak his mind to her. She even enjoyed having a telepathic communication with Varick that no one else could, especially when it came to a private joke that was just meant for the two of them to know. Anyone who was around during one of those times normally shook their heads because they couldn't figure out what Varick and Melissa were laughing about.

It was on this night, the night before Melissa was to marry that she confronted her mother and her grandmother. She wanted to know what a wedding night was supposed to feel like and what was to be expected. Her grandmother was also a telepath and could see right into Melissa heart.

"This conversation is not about Kareem, is it?" her grandmother asked.

"No, it's not but, you already knew the answer to that" Melissa stated as she sat down on the couch beside her grandmother.

"You're thinking about Varick" her mother questioned as she looked at Melissa.

"Yes" Melissa said as she fiddled with the hem of her shirt.

"Darling, let him love you. If Varick is the one you want to love, then do so. Tell him your heart's desire and I am sure he will understand" her grandmother said.

"Varick is a true gentleman, even though he is an alien species. He does love you, he's just not very good at showing it" her mother said.

"Go and let him love you. Your grandmother and I will never say anything because we know that Kareem will not be as good to you on your first time as what he should be. Go to him. But, first, we need to get you out of those clothes and into a something that sends out a bit of an invitation that even Varick can't resist" her mother said with a smile as she and her grandmother walked into Melissa's parents bedroom.

Melissa was very thankful that neither her father nor Kareem were here to witness this scandalous act that her family members were helping her to achieve. They would no doubt admonish her for going to Varick under the cloak of moonlight.

Melissa knew that Varick was planning to make their last night alone together a special night. He already told her that they would not be training or learning anything new. He said he just wanted to spend some time with her before she married tomorrow.

"Well, what do you think" her mother said as she pulled out a little black dress. It had a cowl neck with an open back. It was just a straight A-line cut dress that came down to just below mid thigh.

"It's perfect!" Melissa was excited at the prospect of finally getting to wear a sexy dress with a pair of strappy high heeled black shoes.

"Go ahead, try it on" her grandmother said.

Melissa quickly pulled off her clothes and put the dress on. She felt gorgeous in it. The material was soft and silky against her skin.

"Now when did you get that done?" her mother mentioned when she saw the burn mark on Melissa's thigh. It was in the shape of a triangle with an eye in the center of it.

"Uh…I got it done about a week ago, just after Varick and I went on a hunt" Melissa stated as though it were not a big deal. She was quite proud of herself for what she did.

"Okay. Let's see if we can place any finishing touches on your face and hair. If he wants an evening without any work, he's going to get it" her mother stated as she set to work at curling her daughter's waist length hair and adding a little bit of make-up, just for sparkle.

It was almost ten by the time they finished getting Melissa ready and she felt unbelievably beautiful. She just hoped that Varick would think so too.

Melissa walked up to her room and took a deep breath before opening her door. There was Varick, standing on the balcony, waiting for her. _Just breathe and try to relax. This is still Varick and I going out like usual but, this time it is going to be intimate. I hope._ Melissa thought as she climbed out her window and watched Varick look her over.

"You look more beautiful every time I see you, Lissa" Varick swallowed hard because, he had never seen her with her hair down or with anything on other than her jeans and tee shirts. This was something that he had never seen her in. It was tight in some places and loose in others. It accentuated every curve she had. It even revealed a little bit of her mark.

"Thank you. Are you ready to go?" Melissa asked as she felt Varick lift her up to the roof but, as he lifted her he could smell the faint scent of flowers. That's when it struck him that she was wearing perfume and it was driving his senses crazy. He knew he couldn't maintain control when she smelled like heaven.

Melissa watched from the roof, Varick climbed up and then pulled Melissa into his arms.

"You're testing my resolve, Lissa" Varick's voice sounded raspy as he spoke to her. He had his hands around her waist and she rested her hands on his arms.

She could sense the hesitation in him. He was, for the first time, nervous about being around her. His mind was on the verge of screaming as he stood there and looked into her blue eye with his golden ones.

"Are you alright?" Melissa quietly asked as she started to feel Varick shiver.

"Not when you're this close and looking so lovely" Varick stated as he removed his hands from her narrow waist and picked her up. He was determined to get to the park and show her the surprise he had planned for her.

As he made his way across the rooftops, his body was screaming in agony. He had never seen a more lovely female in his entire live and he knew that this was the last night he would be able to see her. He already asked her to go back with him but, she said she had to protect her family. She also explained the Kareem was vindictive enough that he would throw both her parents in jail if she didn't marry him.

As soon as they reached the park, Melissa's eyes widened when she saw a blanket laid out on the grass, about a dozen hand-picked wild flowers, about four thermal lights which let off the same amount of light as a candle, and dinner which was being kept warm in some sort of regulator. That's when Melissa noticed, what appeared to be, a bottle of wine sitting in an ice bucket.

"You did all this for me?" Melissa questioned as she looked up at Varick, with a couple of tears streaming down her face.

"Yes, I felt as though you deserved one last of happiness before your marriage to Kareem" Varick said as he walked over to the blanket and sat Melissa down on it. He sat down beside her and pulled the bottle of wine out from the bucket.

"That's definitely not Earth wine" Melissa stated with a laugh.

"No, it is not. It reads Nan-de Than-gaun which means "Kiss of midnight" no mercy. Believe me, too much of this stuff and even I am shown no mercy" Varick chuckled as he watched Melissa get into a kneeling position and then looked at him. He wanted to roar with everything he had to fight his male urges for her. He never once had problems keeping himself in check but, here and now with this female he had no control.

"You seem tense. What's wrong?" Melissa asked as she watched Varick open up the bottle and pour some into two glasses that were positioned behind the container of ice. He handed one glass to Melissa and she took a tiny sip before smiling at Varick. The wine was smooth going down and tasted like a sweet strawberry with a little bit of a kick to it.

"I have had a lot of things on my mind lately. Everything that I have thought about involves you" Varick confessed as he tipped the glass up and swallowed all of the wine.

"Why do you say that?" she asked as she placed a hand on his arm, loving the feel of his muscles under the palm of her hand.

"You must understand that my kind do not normally feel this way about females. We normally get together with the females of my species just to mate and do not form any attachments. I have come to learn that I enjoy having you around and I know that what I feel for you goes beyond anything that I have ever felt before. I care a great deal for you, in fact, I love you, Lissa" Varick confessed and then lowered his eyes down to the ground. He was waiting for it. The rejection that he was sure would come.

"I love you to, Varick" Melissa confessed as she placed her glass down and placed her tiny hands on either side of Varick's face. She gently raised his head to look into his eyes and then smiled at him.

"I wasn't sure whether you felt the same way or not but, now that I know you do it feels good" he said as he pulled Melissa into his lap and nuzzled the side of her neck, making her giggle.

"Varick, I have a question" Melissa stated as she looked up at him.

"I will do my best to answer it"

"What is mating like?" Melissa said quickly so she wouldn't feel embarrassed about asking. That's when she felt Varick ease away from her neck and looked at her.

"Mating? Are you sure you want to know?" Varick was almost at a loss for words. He knew her youth would prevent her from having a lot of knowledge but, he didn't think she was a maiden.

"I wouldn't have asked if I didn't want to know" she smiled sweetly up at him as he gave her a questioning glance. She wasn't to sure if he was going to tell her or not. He seemed to be very confused or flustered; she wasn't to sure about that either. Then, he finally spoke.

"Mating, in my culture, is very aggressive. The females are a lot larger than the males. When a female comes into heat, she becomes very violent and wants to mate with the first worthy male. Where the females are so much larger, mating is normally done with the female on all fours with the male kneeling behind her. Impregnation happens almost immediately. Females only mate about once every ten years because the Yautja have very long lives, as you've found out" Varick stated, hoping that brief explanation would satisfy Melissa's curiosity.

"Show me" Melissa whispered as she took a hold of one of his hands and kissed the tips of his fingers.

"Why would you ask me to mate with you?" Varick questioned as he looked at Melissa. He couldn't believe what he had heard. She wanted him to mate with her. He knew he couldn't take her innocence and leave her with nothing, even though she was getting married tomorrow.

"Both my mother and my grandmother told me that I should let you love me because, Kareem would never be able to make me feel the way I should on my wedding night. I want to know what passion feels like with the male I love" Melissa stated as she looked into Varick's golden colored eyes and saw a mix of emotions.

"Know this, Lissa, if I mate with you tonight in my heart you are my forever mate. I will choose no other female. You and I will be one, now and forever." Varick stated as he cupped her chin.

"Even though I will be married to one, my heart will always be married to you and I will never acknowledge another male as my forever mate" Melissa stated, knowing in her heart that what she felt for Varick went beyond anything that she had ever known. Melissa knew that they were meant to be and that she would never accept another male into her heart.

"Stand up" Varick stated in a slightly raspy voice. He watched as she obeyed him and he stood up in front of her. He watched her blue eyes grow wide when he removed all of his armor and clothes except for the metal loin cloth which he wanted to leave on until Melissa was ready for him.

Melissa watched in amazement as Varick removed all of his armor except for his loin cloth. She had never seen a man naked before and seeing Varick almost completely nude made her feel fuzzy in the pit of her stomach. She watched as he closed the distance between them and placed his arms around her waist, pulling her body close to his.

She could feel the heat of his body through the material of her dress and she thought she couldn't have felt any better. That was until he lowered his head to her neck and began using his mandibles to nip her skin. She placed her hands on his shoulders and tilted her head back, giving him better access.

Varick nibbled his way down Melissa's neck, to the full swell of her breasts, down her narrow waist, to her legs. His hands slid her dress up over thighs and to her slightly rounded hips. His hands moved over her mark and then slid up to her buttocks. His mandibles nipped gently at her thighs and she rewarded him with a gasp of pleasure, especially when he deftly removed her white silk underwear and nuzzled her at the junction of her thighs.

"Oh!" Melissa moaned as she arched her back and dug her nails into Varick's shoulders. Her body felt like it was on fire as his hands rested on her hips and pulled her closer to his mouth. Then, he stopped and changed direction. He slowly rose up and lifted her dress as he did.

"Off" his voice was edged with desire as he lifted her dress up over her head and allowed it to fall into a pile with his clothes. _More clothes! Why do these ooman females wear so many layers?_ Varick thought as he looked at the white silk and lace bra that Melissa wore. He was trying figure out how to remove it when she finally pointed out the hooks in the back. He growled as he struggled with the tiny hooks before Melissa finally relented and undid them in less time than he thought they could have been undone.

Varick took a step back and looked at Melissa. He could sense that she was unsure of what he was doing and for once he was pleased with his choice in females. She had a small body but all her curves were located in the right places. There wasn't an ounce of overly hard muscle on her body. She had just enough muscle to give her body a toned look. Her long black hair hung down her back like a curtain with soft curls.

He pulled her back to him and his mouth and hands went into a frenzy. He wanted to touch and taste every portion of her. He couldn't get enough of her. Her innocence called out to him like song and like the male that he was went for it.

Varick lifted her up into his arms and laid her down on the blanket. He moved over the top of her and began to nibble her neck. He could hear her breath coming in short gasps of pleasure as he moved from her neck down to her breasts. His mandibles opened up and his inner mouth took one of her turgid nipples into his mouth.

As he moved his mouth between her breasts, one of his hands slid down her firm flat stomach and came to rest between her thighs. He toyed with the dark triangle of curls at the junction of her thighs before sliding a finger up inside her warm moist body. He hadn't expected her to be moist with arousal. He felt her hips move against his hand.

He was used to the females of his species, which they never got moist between their thighs. Of course, they didn't have hair between their legs either. He found it a rather nice surprise on both accounts.

Melissa could feel the heat welling up inside her body and she felt as though she was going to be consumed by it. She could feel Varick's thumb making small circles between her thighs as he continued to nuzzle her breasts.

She wanted to feel him and give him the same sense of pleasure that he was giving her. She slid one of her hands down to the waist band of his loin cloth and tried to locate some sort of device that kept it on. He finally assisted her by unhooking it from the side and then tossed it off to the side.

"Go ahead. I will not hurt you" Varick stated as he gently grasped a hold of her hand and placed her tiny hand on his engorged erection. He purred loudly as she ran her hand over the length of him and stroked him. He could sense her nervousness but, she was willing.

"Enough" he growled as he removed her hand from him and wrapped both her arms around his neck.

Melissa watched as Varick loomed over the top and his knee nudged her legs apart. She parted her legs for him and slightly bent her knees. She could feel a slight pressure as he started to enter her.

It was the hardest thing Varick had ever done. Holding back was not something he was used to, especially when it came to mating. Now, here he was being extremely careful because he didn't want to hurt Melissa's tiny body. He knew that because she was so small and delicate, he could easily injure her internally.

Melissa could feel he was holding back on taking her fully. She could sense that he was uncertain. She had read enough romance novels to be able to know how to ease any doubts about him possibly hurting her. She knew that a female's body could stretch to fit a male, some more than others.

Melissa finally got up the nerve to wrap her legs around Varick's waist, hooking her ankles together, and gave him a little pull. Melissa tilted her hips as she felt him push himself a little further inside.

"Melissa, there will be some pain. There is no way I can avoid it" Varick whispered into her ear as one of his hands grasped a hold of her hips.

"I know" she panted as she felt the sweat building up on her body. Melissa moved her hands onto Varick's shoulders and waited for him to make the next move.

"I'm sorry" he whispered as trusted completely into her, ripping her hymen in the process, and produced a scream of pain from Melissa along with her back arching against him. He felt her entire body tense up and knew he had hurt her. Varick also knew that the pain was unavoidable.

He knew that if he was the one who caused it then he could easily change it into pleasure. But, if Kareem did it, then she would never have the chance to know what it was suppose to feel like.

As Varick held his position for a minute, giving Melissa's body time to adjust to his immense size, before he began to move within her. Varick felt Melissa begin to move with him, moans of pleasure escaped from her lips. He could smell the scent of her arousal increase with each of his movements.

Melissa could feel her whole body tensing up and growing incredibly hot with each of Varick's powerful thrusts. Her head tossed from side to side as her nails dug into his shoulders. Her breathing became heavy and ragged as she continued to meet him with the age-old rhythm of making love.

Varick placed a hand on either side of Melissa, his claws digging into the ground as he felt himself starting to loose control. Then, he felt Melissa dig her nails further into his shoulders as she screamed out her climax. He felt her tiny muscles completely tighten around, causing him to finally loose control. His roar of passion mingled with her scream, as his seed spilled heavily inside her.

He went to roll off of her but; she shook her head at him and told him that he was fine right where he was at. He didn't rest his entire body weight on her but; he did rest, enjoying the warmth and comfort that she provided him. His whole being felt at peace for the first time in many years and he didn't want to let it go. Melissa had finally mended the ache that was in his heart and he helped her gain a wealth of experience and a brand mark.

As they rested from their aftermath of love-making, an all too familiar person was lurking in the shadows, seething with anger. _So, that's the competition I am up against. He's not even human and she is allowing him to take her as his mate. Oh well, maybe a little bit of experience will loosen her up for our wedding night. She's going to be all mine after the wedding and I will make her forget all about him._

End of flash back:

"What happened after that, mom" Alex asked as he watched his mother recline back in her seat.

"As you guessed, I married Kareem and that night, he told me that he had seen Varick and I together in the park. I said nothing because what could I say to him. After that, he shove me down onto the bed, threw my wedding dress, and rapped me. I can honestly say that he may have been smaller than Varick but he hurt me worse than Varick could have ever dreamed about" Melissa softly spoke as she looked at her children.

"What was it like when you were pregenant with my sister and I?" Alex asked.

"You were a completely different story. I knew that you were Varick's son as soon as I found out I was pregnant with you. I ate all raw meat. I craved anything that was high in protein and that was not fully cooked. Your sister, on the other hand, I had the normal cravings of a pregnant woman." Melissa chuckled.

"When was the last time you saw Varick?" Melody asked.

"The afternoon I married Kareem. I whispered "I love you" to him just after the "I do's"." Melissa stated as she looked over at the wall clock and saw that it was nearring three in the morning.

"Don't you think if Varick loved you so much that he would have given you something to get in contact with him if things got to bad" Melody questioned.

"He did. He gave me a very beautiful necklace and all I would have to do is to pull the top part of the jewel and twist. It would send a signal to his ship and he would be there the next day. Kareem found out about it and destroyed it. That happened after I found out for sure that Alex was Varick's son. The nurse told me that Alex's blood was bright neon green. That's how I knew" Melissa stated.

"Oh. Was that during the blood test?" Alex asked.

"Yes, it was. Now then you two, it's time for bed" Melissa stated as she stood up and proceeded up the stairs to her old bedroom.

"Oh, if the bed's rocking, don't come knocking. Varick is coming here tonight" Melissa quickly explained before closing and locking her bedroom door.

"Cool we finally get to meet him" Melody exclaimed as she went into her room and immediately fell asleep.

_I just hope things go differently this time around. _Alex thought as he went into his room and quickly fell asleep.

"So do I Alex. So do I" Melissa whsipered to herself as she unlocked her bedroom window and climbed into bed, hoping to catch a few hours sleep before Varick showed up.


	5. Midnight Rendezvous

Chapter 5: Midnight Rendezvous

"Father, why can't I go with you? It might be a trap" Tanaka complained. He wanted nothing more than to meet the female called Melody.

"Tanaka, I will be quite safe. I am going to speak to Lissa and get you the information that you desire. You must show patience. Meet me at her home on the other side of the city. Her home is located next to the largest building in the area with a lot of trees in the backyard" Varick stated, hoping that would be enough to satisfy his son's eagerness.

"What time?" Tanaka asked.

"Around lunch time. That should give me enough time to get the answers that I require for you" Varick said.

"Alright" Tanaka relented as he watched his father become invisible and walk off in the direction of Melody's home. _Now, time to find Bashera. _

One Hour Later:

Melissa awoke about fifteen minutes before Varick was supposed to show up. Her anticipation was growing very rapidly. She missed Varick more than anything else. She let out a heavy sigh before her heightened senses recognized a familiar presence. Varick.

Melissa bolted out of bed and quickly stripped off her sweat pants. She was glad that she was not wearing any underwear. Instead, all she had on was a long tee shirt with nothing on underneath. She had waited twenty-five years for this moment and she wasn't about to waste any time in making her dreams come true.

She stood by the edge of her bed and watched as Varick entered her room.

"Varick" Melissa whispered and then jumped into his open arms. She felt him lift her completely up and nuzzled her neck with his mask on.

"Oh Lissa. My beautiful Lissa" Varick softly stated as he held her close to him one arm and used his other hand to remove his mask. After getting the mask off, he let it drop to the floor and then buried his face into her long ebony black hair. He used his mandibles to nibble at the skin on her neck. Varick heard Melissa sigh heavily. He had waited so many years for this moment and he was not about to let it pass him by.

"Love me" Melissa begged as she slid down his body and immediately placed her hands on his metal loin cloth. She quickly found the buckle that held it on his waist and undid it, allowing it to fall to the floor. She moved her hands over his arms and instantly felt his hands cup her buttocks.

"You don't even need to ask. You and I are one, now and forever" Varick whispered as he lifted Melissa's light-weight body and swiftly slid into her. He found her to be moist and ready for him. Melissa's legs immediately wrapped around his waist and her ankles hooked behind him. He could hear her heavy breathing as he felt her body move with his.

"I already knew that, my forever mate" Melissa said in a very husky voice as she felt Varick slid in and out off her body in a rhythmic motion. She could feel her climax building with each of his movements as she strained to keep up with his ever increasing pace. Melissa began to nibble on his neck as his hands slid up her shirt and cupped one of her breasts, the pad of his thumb making tiny circles around her nipple.

Melissa tossed her head back when she herself nearing the edge. At first she wanted to hold back her scream when the first wave of ecstasy moved through her body but, it was far too intense. She screamed as she the tremors of her climax course throughout her entire body.

"Varick!" Melissa screamed out when she hit the peak of her climax.

"Lissa!" Varick roared when he felt his own climax.

He could feel her tiny muscles tighten and relax around him. Her breathing was ragged as she laid her head against his shoulder. He could feel her body sweating as he buried his face into her hair.

He still had trouble believing that he was finally here with the female that he had loved for so many years. Her body's response still had not changed; it was still violent whenever she reached her peak. She still reacted to each of his caresses with ardent pleasure, giving and receiving with each of his movements.

"I have missed you so much, Varick" Melissa confessed as she lifted her face away from his neck and looked into his golden eyes.

"And I have not once forgotten about you, my forever mate" Varick stated as he pulled out of her.

"So, do you finally want to spend the night in my bed? My parents have gone form this world and there is no Kareem for either of us to worry about" Melissa said in a sultry voice as she kissed his each of his mandibles.

"I wouldn't have it any other way. I am glad that you have a much larger bed than what you used to have" Varick joked as he recalled the small full size bed that used to be in her room when they were seeing each other all those years ago. Now, she had a huge California king size bed.

"Well, I do like my creature comforts" Melissa chuckled as she slid out of his arms and started to make her way towards the bed, only to have Varick grasp her hand.

"That first time went too quickly. I am going to mate with again and this time it will last a lot longer" Varick growled as he pulled Melissa back into his arms and then lifted her up. He walked over to the end of the bed and sat her down on the edge.

"Oh really. I thought the last time it lasted for a long while on both our parts" Melissa teased as she ran her hands up Varick's massive chest and then moved her hands down to his semi-hard erection.

"Lissa, are you sure you know what you're doing?" Varick questioned as he felt her tiny hand move over the length of him.

"Enough" Varick growled as he removed her hands away from him. Varick knew that Melissa was teasing him and he was not about to stand for it. He had every intention of teasing her until she begged him to mate with her again. He quickly removed her shirt without ripping it.

"Oh" Melissa gave Varick a mischievous grin as she felt him roll her over onto her stomach.

"I am not going to let you have your way" Varick purred as he slid a hand underneath Melissa and moved her body further up onto the bed.

"Sounds like a very serious problem" Melissa huskily whispered as she helped Varick to move her and in the process, she tried to roll over but, Varick placed a firm hand on her lower back.

"I plan on memorizing every part of you, since we now have the time" Varick stated as he climbed up onto the bed and lay down beside Melissa.

Leaning over, he began to murmur softly into her ear about how lovely she was and how much he loved her. He nibbled on her shoulders, down her spine, and even on her buttocks, which produced a giggle from Melissa.

Melissa felt both of Varick's hands slid up underneath her body and cup both of her breasts. Her back arched as she moaned with pleasure. Melissa didn't realize how many pleasure points she had until Varick decided to worship her.

"Varick" Melissa was panting heavily by the time Varick decided to roll her over and memorize the front of her.

"Oh Lissa, my lovely Lissa" Varick stated as he moved his hands over her body, bringing forth purrs and moans from Melissa.

"Varick, quite being such a tease" Melissa whispered as she moved her hands to his face and gently pulled. Varick allowed himself to be pulled up and over Melissa's body.

"Only for you, my mate" Varick whispered as he lifted Melissa up and then rolled her over. He had every intention of mating with her like a Yautja and he knew that Melissa would not turn him down.

"Oh, I take it you want to try this way of mating" Melissa joked as she willingly got onto her hands and knees.

"You better believe it" Varick purred as he quickly removed the remainder of his clothes and knelt behind Melissa. He heard her gasp when he entered her and then felt her bottom back up against him, which brought forth a soft roar from him.

"Oh!" Melissa moaned as she felt Varick lean over her back and places a hand on either side of her. She felt him pull out and then push back into her. Melissa's hips strained to meet every one of his thrusts. She felt one of his hands slid up her arm, across her breasts, and then moved between her thighs. She let out a heavy sigh as he gently stroked her.

"Oh Lissa, you feel beautiful" Varick growled as he felt her body meet every one of his thrusts. He could feel her body heating and becoming even moister with each of his movement. He watched as she tossed her hair over to one side, her eyes growing wide as she panted.

"Varick!" Melissa screamed as she reached her climax, her hips bucked wildly against him.

"Lissa!" was all Varick roared as his climax joined hers and his seed spilled heavily inside of her body. He felt her body become limp as he pulled out of her and then rolled onto his back.

"I love you, Varick" Melissa whispered as she moved over to lie next to Varick. She felt Varick roll over to face her and wrap his arms around her naked body.

"And I love you, my forever mate" Varick had not felt so complete since the last time they were together. He knew that this time would be different. They could finally leave together without any problems. No forced marriages or worrying about her parents being thrown in jail or Kareem. _Ah yes, Kareem. I wonder where he is at._

"What happened to Kareem?" Varick finally asked as he stroked the back of her head.

"Kareem and I went our separate ways" Melissa started to say and then began to relate the whole tale of how she had put up with Kareem's violence and abusiveness until she couldn't take it anymore.

She told Varick about how she took a baseball bat to Kareem while he slept and beat the crap out of him. She told explained of how her father died and then her mother followed six months later. But, her mother was smart enough to hide a nice size family fortune of over five million dollars in the Swiss bank accounts waiting around for just the right time. Her mother also left the house to the Melissa and her grandchildren.

She told Varick of how the kids and her left without any luggage and picked up a set of plane tickets that her mother purchased just before she died. Melissa also explained that her mother had committed suicide so that her daughter might be able to escape with the children. It was the only way that Melissa would have been able to get the funds.

The only thing that Melissa did not tell Varick about was Alex. She felt it would be best to wait and see how Varick and Alex got along. She knew Alex would adore Varick but, she was unsure if the reverse would be true. She was pretty sure that Varick would accept Alex but, there was always that reservation of "what if". Then she also had to think about Tanaka's feelings in this matter and what would be going through his mind once he found out about his half brother, even though there was no relation between the two of them.

Melissa glanced over at the clock and saw that it was almost eleven thirty. Her stomach started growling and she laughed.

"Would you like some breakfast?" Melissa asked.

"Pancakes would be great" Varick hinted, even though it was not one of his better points but, Melissa understood.

"Alright but, you're going to have to let me up so I can get dressed" Melissa giggled as she lifted Varick's arm from around her waist.

Varick removed his arm from her waist and watched her get out of bed. That's when he noticed that Melissa still had the brand mark on her thigh. It made his heart sing that she still carried his mark proudly.

"See anything you like" Melissa asked as she turned her heal and walked to the closet. She pulled out a pair of black jeans and a lavender colored tee shirt. She rummaged through her dresser and found a pair of matching bra and panties in pale pink lace.

"You" Varick said with light tone of humor in his voice.

"Aren't we being romantic first thing this morning" Melissa giggled as she pulled on all of her clothes and opened her bedroom door.

"Coming?" Melissa raised a questioning eyebrow in Varick's direction when he got out of bed and quickly pulled on his clothes. He followed Melissa downstairs and into the kitchen.

I wish to thank everyone for their reviews. Oh, I wish to send out a special thank you to Vee017 who pointed out something that I missed in regards to Alex being so big and not taking care of Kareem. Don't worry; I'll put in a fill in the blank for that one in the next chapter. It's just sometimes I get so into the other characters and the story, that I miss a minor detail.


	6. Introductions over Breakfast

Chapter 6: Introductions over Breakfast

As Varick leaned against the kitchen counter, he couldn't help but be mesmerized by the way Melissa's hair swayed as she prepared breakfast. He liked the way she would glance in his direction and smile. He noticed that her cheeks flushed when she looked at him.

"Have I told you how beautiful you are this morning?" Varick asked as he moved behind Melissa. He placed his hands on her hips and then leaned over to nuzzle her neck.

"You have but, I don't mind if you say it again" Melissa sighed heavily as she felt Varick's warm breath against her neck, sending chills up her spine.

"I'll say it every day to make sure that you never forget" Varick confessed as he wrapped his arms around her waist.

"Oh please, get a room!" Melody exclaimed as she walked into the kitchen and saw Varick and her mother making out.

"More sunshine! Sleep well?" Melissa asked as she politely removed Varick's arms and directed him to take a seat before she would have to reprimand him. He sulked but, did as he was directed to do. Before he sat down, he gently ran his hand over her bottom.

"Morning mom, morning Varick" Alex cheerfully stated as he walked into the kitchen and then sat down at the kitchen table.

"Your children are just like you, unafraid of anything" Varick commented as he watched the two children pick on each other.

"Well, that's not entirely true" Melissa mentioned as she poured the first round of pancake batter onto the large skillet.

"I take it Kareem put a lot of fear into the both of you" Varick stated as he watched their expressions. He could see the fear that each of them had. Alex kept quiet and Melody showed a small amount of tears but, quickly brushed them aside.

"Answer me this, Alex. How is that you are big for a human and it is obvious that you take very good care of your mother and sister yet, why didn't you stand up for your mother and sister when they were still with Kareem" Varick asked.

"Let's just say, the last time I did, Kareem told me that if I ever interfered again, my mother would pay the price along with my sister and I would be blamed for it. Kareem actually did shot my mother after he said that and he said the next time it would be lethal. So, I never interfered again" Alex confessed. He knew Kareem's temper all to well and he was good for his word. If Kareem said he would do something, he did it.

"That explains everything" Varick let out a sigh before continuing, "It is good that you both are here. Tanaka will be joining us shortly."

"That's the other one who was at the club last night, isn't he?" Melody questioned as she grabbed the pot of coffee and poured four cups of coffee.

"I assume you drink coffee, correct?" Melody asked as she placed the cups on the table.

"Yes and thank you" Varick stated, he could smell the fact that Melody was nervous around him. It was obvious that he was probably the only alien that she had ever met.

"In answer to your other question, Tanaka and Bashera were both there. Bashera, unfortunately, has pulled a disappearing act. This planet fascinates him. He has never seen so many things outside of his home world. He is curious by nature and that gets him into more trouble than a lot of Yautja can get him out of. For this reason, his father, who is my brother, sent him with me to see if maybe I can get some sense knocked into his head" Varick chuckled as he took a sip of coffee.

"That's going to take a lot more work than what we originally thought, father" Tanaka suddenly spoke as he became visible, nearly causing Melody to spit coffee all over the place.

"Tanaka, how good it is to finally meet you. Have a seat, breakfast will be ready shortly" Melissa stated in the Yautja language, which produced a shocked gasp from Tanaka and a laugh from Varick.

"Plan on telling me what is going on here?" Tanaka asked he sat down in a chair next to Melody. He watched as Alex took on a very protective stance in his chair.

"Alex, behave" Melissa immediately scolded Alex when she sensed her son's unease around Tanaka. She could understand, Tanaka liked Melody a lot and Alex, being a big brother, decided to take up the defensive role.

"Tanaka, this is Melissa. A female that I fell madly in love with twenty-five years ago. These are her two children, Alex and Melody" Varick stated.

"Melissa, Melody, and Alex, this is Tanaka, my son" Varick introduced Tanaka. Alex still looked a little wary, Melody put on a bright and cheerful smile, and Melissa was bringing over a huge plate of pancakes.

"Dig in" Melissa stated as she brought Tanaka a cup of coffee and watched him take of his mask.

"What is this?" Tanaka questioned his father. When he saw that his father appeared to be enjoying the ooman meal, he decided that it must be pretty good. As he tried to figure out how to cut the circular meal, Melody leaned over.

"Problems? Here, let's see if I can fix it for you" Melody stated as she showed him how to cut the pancake and even gave him a taste, which he seemed to enjoy.

"Not bad, for ooman food" Tanaka honestly said as he continued to eat and enjoy his meal.

"So son, what did you mean by more work?" Varick asked he drank some more coffee.

"I searched all night and most of this morning for Bashera. I can't find him anywhere. If you're going to ask, the ship's still in its original spot and nothing's blown up" Tanaka stated as he took a sip of the coffee. He found it bitter but, he couldn't argue. It was something to drink.

"We'll have to look for him after breakfast. He couldn't have gone too far and I don't think he would go against my orders about observation only" Varick solemnly stated as he watched Melissa sit down next to him and then gently rubbed her leg against his. He looked over at her and she smiled.

"So, how long you boys in for?" Melissa asked as she ate her breakfast.

"Another seventy-two hours and then we leave for another hundred years" Varick stated.

"Will you come with me this time?" Varick questioned.

"You bet your ass I'm coming. Not even a herd of hard meat could keep me from going" Melissa cheerfully stated.

"Can we come to?" Alex asked.

"If you wish. You may both come along" Varick said.

"Alright!" Melody exclaimed.

"Now, who's this Bashera character?" Melody asked.

"My nephew" Varick stated.

"What, is he missing?" Alex asked as he refilled his plate with another three pancakes. He noticed that Varick and Tanaka both were working on their second serving.

"Yes, since last night. We must find him before he gets into trouble" Tanaka stated in English.

"By the way, Tanaka, Varick, both children understand you" Melissa laughed.

"They both speak out language" Tanaka was shocked and his eyes became wide.

"Varick taught it to me a long time ago and I passed the knowledge onto them" Melissa explained.

"Oh" Tanaka was hoping that he could still keep some secrets from Melody in his language but, now that she knew it was going to be impossible.

"Don't worry. I'm pretty good at playing dumb" Melody joked as she laid a hand upon Tanaka's arm and immediately felt electricity dance on her finger tips. She quickly removed her hand for fear of something that she was not familiar with.

"I would not like it if you pretended to be something that you are not. That is why I like you" Tanaka confessed and watched as her skin flushed bright red but, she seemed to enjoy the fact that he was flirting with her.

"Did I tell you, that your breasts seem a lot fuller than what they were the last time I held them in my hands?" Varick whispered the questioned into Melissa's ear.

"No but, if you keep on like this, you might just get a little bit of a surprise" Melissa jokingly whispered as she pretended to lay her hand in her lap but, she slid her hand onto Varick's leg.

I wish to thank everyone again for their reviews. It is because of your reviews that have fueled my ambition to finish this story. Without the extreme flow of compliments, I don't think I would be striving so hard to finish this tale. So again, thank you.


	7. All Hell Breaks Loose

Chapter 7: All Hell Breaks Loose

After they all finished breakfast, they sat down in the living room and played twenty questions with each other. Varick and Melissa sat down on the loveseat and watched Tanaka and Melody rough-house around on the floor. It was obvious that their feelings for each other were mutual and since there was no need to worry about their relationship, they were free to feel however the wished.

"Hey mom, I'm going to go get dressed, since we are going to have to leave for work in about another few hours" Alex stated as he walked to his room.

"Ok. I guess the same applies to all of us" Melissa commented but, didn't want to get up. She was finally content that all of her dreams were coming true and that she had no fear that someone was going to destroy everything that she had put together.

"I don't see you making a move to get dressed" Varick mentioned as he felt Melissa's body sag against his and then she let out a sigh.

"I'm too happy to move" Melissa confessed as she maneuvered herself into Varick's lap and then laid her head against his shoulder. She felt Varick laid his arm across her lap and his other arm behind her back. She couldn't believe how good this felt after so many years of being hurt.

"I know what you mean" Varick allowed his hand to toy with her hair, running his fingers through the length and debating with himself on whether or not it would do to have her hair done like his or to leave it long and flowing.

"Ouch!" Melody squealed as Tanaka finally got her pinned down onto the floor.

"Finally, I was beginning to think that I would never be able to tackle you" Tanaka laughed as he held both of Melody's hands above her head and sat down on her waist.

"You're heavy and that's cheating" Melody reminded him as she felt the fact that he didn't put the full amount of his weight onto her, just enough to hold her down. They had been trying to tackle each other for the last thirty minutes without much success. Her small size gave her an advantage over Tanaka's large form.

"You do what you have to do to win. I believe I have finally won a round with you. But, I give you credit for being small which has given you advantage over me. Know this that I do not normally have anyone who can beat me but, you are more than welcome to give it a shot" Tanaka chuckled as he released both of Melody's hands.

"Don't worry; I'll beat you one of these days. Besides, you'll have plenty of time to train me and, I warn you, I'm a very fast learner" Melissa smiled up at Tanaka as she rolled over onto her stomach, her knee-length night shirt slid up high on her thighs.

"If we keep going like this, you're clothes will expose you" Tanaka stated as his slid his hand down the middle of Melody's back and down to the bottom of her night shirt and gently pulled it down to cover her thighs. He watched as she turned her head to look back at him and smiled. He noticed that a slight tinge of blush stained her cheeks.

"Ha, ha, ha. Very funny" Melody stated as she slid out from under Tanaka.

"You had best get dressed. We're going to have to leave in about thirty minutes" Melissa mentioned as she tried to get up off of Varick's lap.

"I'll be out in a few minutes" Melody said as she got up and walked to her room, swaying her hips slightly more than normal.

"Hey mom! What do you think?" Alex asked as he walked out of his room in a pair of black jeans and a dark blue silk shirt.

"You look great. Carrie's gonna love that look" Melissa stated and watched her son's cheeks turn red.

"I hope so" Alex reassured himself. He couldn't believe it. He was finally dating the girl of his dreams.

Carrie was everything that Alex could have ever wanted in a girlfriend. She was sweet natured and she was in medical school, training to become a heart surgeon. Even though most men considered her to be rather plain, Alex thought she was a diamond in the rough. It took a lot of work for her true colors to shine through but, when they did, she was beautiful.

"Hey mom, do you think this will work for tonight?" Melody asked as she walked out of her bedroom and then turned around for inspection. Melody decided to wear a lavender colored handkerchief dress that had a low waist style with floral appliqués on the shoulder and hip. She also wore a pair of four inch stiletto sandals that closed in the back with an ankle-strap that had rhinestone trim at the strappy toe. For jewelry, she wore a pair of beaded dangle earrings.

"You two look fabulous. It's almost as though you both have walked right off the cover of a fashion magazine" Melissa exclaimed. She watched as Tanaka turned his head to look at Melody and his jaw nearly hit the floor.

"Well, what do you think, Tanaka?" Melody asked.

"You look lovely" Tanaka confessed as he swallowed hard against the lump that was forming in his throat.

They all turned their heads when they heard the door bell ring.

"I wonder who that could be." Melissa asked as she got up off of Varick's lap and went to answer the door. She immediately sensed Carrie and Mara, along with someone else.

"Carrie. Mara. What's going on?" Melissa exclaimed after she opened the door and both girls ran into her arms.

"Bashera!" Varick and Tanaka both exclaimed.

"You have a lot of explaining to do. Tanaka has been looking all over the place for you. Where have you been?" Varick started yelling at Bashera in Yautja.

"These two females were attacked in their home. I followed the dark haired one to her place because I wanted to know more about her. Come to find out they both live together. As soon as they entered the home, several ooman males attacked them. So, I did what any would-be warrior would do for a female in distress. I saved them from the ooman males. After the fight was over with, the girls had vanished. I believe they were afraid. I searched for them most of the night until I found them. We have walked from the other side of this city to here. That is where I have been" Bashera explained.

"For once, you actually did something right" Varick complimented.

"But, you should have radioed for help or to at least let someone know where you were at" Tanaka stated.

"Oops. But, I did try to help" Bashera said sheepishly as he shrugged his shoulders.

"Are you okay, Carrie?" Alex asked as he watched Carrie move away from his mother and sling herself into his arms.

"I'm okay. Thanks to this big guy" Carrie said as she wrapped her arms around Alex and pulled herself closer to him.

"Mom, where's the gun at?" Alex asked as he stroked the back of Carrie's head with one hand and used his other hand to rub the lower part of her back.

"Under my mattress. Alex, be careful" Melissa whispered as she ushered Mara over to the couch.

"Alex, what if they're still there?" Carrie worriedly questioned as she felt Alex remove his arms from around her and walked up stairs.

"Then, I won't go in there. This is just for precautions. I don't plan on using it unless I have to" Alex stated as he came back down the stairs, tucking the gun under his shirt, and hurrying out the door. His plan was to take his sister's truck but, decided to take his newly restored 2010 Corvette convertible which was painted red.

"Don't worry, Carrie, my big brother can take of himself" Melody stated as she wrapped her arms around Carrie's shoulders and walked her over to the couch.

"Your son is brave but, he could get himself into a lot of trouble by going alone" Varick stated as he repositioned himself on the loveseat.

"I know" Melissa was worried that Alex might get himself hurt if he didn't watch his back to closely. She just hoped that it was nothing to serious.

"Hey. I have a good question for you. Why is it that you are not afraid of these guys?" Mara asked as she sat down and watched the one who had saved her and Carrie's lives sit down next to her.

"Well, my mom and Varick used to date a long time ago and she took several snap-shots of him, which our grandmother kept up in the attic. Mom showed us the pictures a few years ago. That's why we're comfortable around these guys" Melody stated as she watched Bashera stared at Mara, in that way.

"Besides, the kids and I are leaving with Varick in a few days. You ladies are more than welcome to come along with us. Better education and very big men to take care of you" Melissa laughed as she felt Bashera's attraction grow towards Mara.

"Hey sounds like an interesting vacation. How long would we be gone for?" Carrie asked because, she wanted to be wherever Alex was.

"There will not be any coming back" Varick finally spoke as he held out his hand towards Melissa and she accepted it. He gently pulled her onto his lap and wrapped his arms around her.

"No coming back? You know, I think that's an awesome idea. I don't have any family left outside the people I work with. Besides, I could definitely use a higher education in Bio-chemistry" Mara stated as she felt the alien's gaze upon her. For some strange reason, she wasn't frightened by it. It thrilled her no end to have a man who was that interested in her.

"I agree. I have nothing left here and nor do I have any parents. I was abandoned when I was a baby. So, I'm going and besides, you guys might be in need of a good heart surgeon" Carrie laughed as she sat down on the floor.

"Alright, we will be leaving in seventy-two hours. Pack anything that you would like to take with you" Varick calmly stated as he watched Bashera's interest in the dark haired female.

"Computer is coming with me. I can't live without it" Melody stated. Her hacking name was "Phoenix" to anyone who knew her. Most people called her either a computer geek or a nerd. She prefered the computer hacker because, that is what she was.

POV:

As Alex drove down the hard top road, he turned on his radio and pressed a button to make the car top fold down.

As Alex stopped at the stop light, he turned his head down to look at the radio, and started to change stations. He didn't even notice the two large black vans that pulled up on either side of his car. He couldn't sense anything because his whole being was preoccupied with his radio.

That wasn't until he heard the distinct sound of an electronic window rolling down. He glanced up, briefly, and his heart dropped to the floor board of his car. He couldn't believe his eyes when he saw an all too familiar face. Alex saw the same short, stocky form of Kareem.

"Hello Alex" Kareem said in a smarmy tone of voice as he looked at Alex's shocked expression. _One Sinclair is as good as another. Just the fact that it's Alex makes it far more pleasant._

"Kareem" Alex softly exclaimed as his eyes got wide before he felt a pain wrack through the side of his neck. He struggled to stay awake before his whole body sagged against the steering wheel.

"Well now. This is turning out to be a better day than what I had an originally planed" Kareem stated as he stepped out of the van and walked over to Alex's collapsed form. He quickly searched Alex over and found the hand gun and a cell phone.

"Now Alex. Don't you know that guns are dangerous, especially in the hands of someone who doesn't know what the fuck their doing?" Kareem stated as he handed the gun over to one of his other employees.

"What do you want done with him?" one the men asked as he opened the car door and pulled Alex out of the car.

"Take him down to the docks and tie him up. I don't want him to escape until after I am through with my plans. Until then, make sure he has kept under constant guard. No one goes near him but me" Kareem stated as he climbed back into the van.

"Understood sir" the employee said as he placed Alex's body into the back of the other van. Another employee sat down in the car, he grumbled about having to slide the seat forward, and then drove the car down to the other side of town near the docks.

Two hours later:

Alex started to rouse out of his drugged state; he could feel the chains that bound him down on top of a cold metal table. Alex felt his eyes start to focus and saw a large egg-like object next to his head. He felt his fear welling up inside of him when he saw the egg start to move. Was this what a "hard meat" looked like before it matured?

The last thing Alex remembered was seeing Kareem and the two black vans that were parked along side his car. He could recall the sharp pain that went through his neck and then passing completely out.

"Oh good, you're awake" Kareem stated as he kept his distance from the table.

"What the hell do you want?" Alex asked, still slightly groggy from the drug that he was given.

"Isn't it obvious? I want your mother and sister back" Kareem said as he crossed his arms over his chest and just stared at Alex.

"Then what am I doing here with this slimy egg-like thing?" Alex questioned as his eyes finally focused on Kareem. He could sense the anger that Kareem was holding back.

"You are here for the simple fact that your mother will come to rescue you. As for the egg, it's a wonderful experimentation that I am planning on performing on you. You see, the egg will open up in a few minutes and you will be impregnated. A few hours later, you'll be dead when it breaks through your rib cage. I get my revenge against you for being the bastard son of Varick. I get even with your mother for her betrayal with Varick. I get your sister, who has already been bought for the highest amount" Kareem stated as he walked to the door.

"You murdering asshole!" Alex screamed as he turned his head back to the egg, which was opening up like a flower. Alex pressed his back against the table as his mind screamed for his mother.

"Have a nice death, Alex" Kareem sternly stated as he walked out of the room.

"If I die, I'll take you with me" Alex growled as he watched Kareem leave.

"I doubt that" Kareem softly stated.

"Come on, budge damn you" Alex grumbled as he struggled with the chains and found that they would not budge.

He looked over at the egg again and saw something climbing out of it. He knew that there was nothing he could do as he turned his head away from the egg. His breathing became erratic as he tried to calm himself down. He felt fingers crawling onto his face and a rope-like device wrapping around his throat, tightening and cutting off his oxygen supply. He looked up as soon as the spider-like creature laid itself on his face and slid something into his mouth and down his throat.

Alex fell unconscious with the creature supplying oxygen to him and implanting a xenomorphic creature into his chest.

Vee017 if you look in Chapter 4: Confessions there is a section on Tanaka. It will be after the part called "About Midnight". That should provide you with the information that you were looking for.


	8. Negotiations

Chapter 8: Negotiations

"Hey mom, shouldn't Alex be back or called by now?" Melody asked when she looked at her watch and saw that they had about thirty minutes before they all had to leave for work.

Melissa changed into a mini dress that had a criss-cross back and a corset style front. Basically, her back was almost completely exposed down to the top of her butt, except for where the straps were. Melody could sense Varick was almost drooling when she turned around for his inspection.

"He should have been but, he's not and that has me worried. He never does anything like this" Melissa was starting worry as she began to pace the floor beside the phone that was hanging on the wall.

All of them jumped when they heard the phone ring. Melissa was the first to the reach the phone and sighed with relief when she saw Alex's cell phone number pop up on the caller ID.

"Hey, Alex. We were beginning…" Melissa started to say until she was interrupted by an all too familiar voice.

"Hello Melissa" Kareem said.

"Kareem" Melissa barely breathed out as he eyes became wide. She could see that everyone was gathering around her. Varick came up behind her and placed a hand on her slender shoulder.

"Oh I am so glad that you remembered me. I'm touched" Kareem sarcastically stated.

"Where's Alex?" Melissa asked in a panic-stricken voice as her whole body began to shake with fear.

"He's alive, for now. But, that all depends on you and how much you are willing to cooperate with my demands" Kareem said with an icy tone to his voice.

"What do you want?" Melissa asked.

"First of all, I want the one who interfered last night. Second, I want Melody, since I have someone who is willing to take care of her for the rest of her life. Third, I want you. You should know by now that I don't like to loose anything especially someone who belongs to me" Kareem angrily stated.

"I wish to speak with Alex before I accept or reject your outlandish proposals" Melissa finally built up her nerve and fired back with her own icy reaction.

"I would but, he's not awake" Kareem said.

"What have you done to him?" Melissa asked when she finally honed in on Kareem's mind. That's when she read bits and pieces of it. She could see Alex with a face-hugger on him and she could hear Kareem maniacal laughter.

"Quite trying to read my mind. It won't direct you to where you need to go. Nor will it save your son" Kareem stated.

"When and where?" Melissa solemnly asked as she leaned against Varick's massive frame for support.

"One hour down by the docks. No weapons or Alex will die" Kareem said as he hung up the phone.

"That was Kareem, wasn't it?" Melody questioned but, already knew the answer.

"Yes, it was. He has Alex" Melissa said as she hung up the phone and looked at her extended family.

"What does he want?" Melody pursued.

"He wants Bashera for last night's interference. He wants you because; he's sold you to some wealthy benefactor. And, he wants me back so he can punish me again" Melissa softly stated as she walked over to the love seat and sat down with her head bowed.

"Then, I see no alternative but, to give Kareem what he wants" Varick stated, which received a startled gasp from everyone else.

"Have you lost your mind, father?" Tanaka asked.

"No, I have a plan" Varick chuckled as all eyes were on him.

"Well, let's hear it" Melody stated.

"Melissa and Melody will deliver Tanaka instead of Bashera. Bashera can be hard to handle at times and could ruin our chances rescuing Alex. Tanaka knows how to maintain his calm under any circumstance. Bashera, these two young females, and I shall go through the back way. Or better known as, our way" Varick said with a small laugh.

"Oh!" they said in unison.

"Does either of you two young females know how to use a gun or a weapon of any kind?" Varick questioned as he turned to Carrie and Mara.

"I have a lot of experience because I had to learn in order to be able to survive on the streets when I was a lot younger. Mara doesn't have any because, she never needed to learn how to" Carrie quickly supplied as she lifted her shirt up, slightly, and showed them the Magnum that she kept with her under her shirt and tucked into the top of her jeans.

"Good. Mara will have to get a quick lesson in self defense" Varick stated as he looked over at Bashera.

"Bashera, would you do the honors of training Mara?" Varick asked.

"Really? It would be an honor and privilege" Bashera stated with a slight bow of his head. He was grateful that Mara wore a pair of blue jeans and a green tee shirt because, a skirt could easily rise up on her and she would be in a mess.

"How much time do we have?" Varick asked Melissa.

"Less than an hour and it will take about thirty minutes to get down to the docks" Melissa stated as she stood up and came to stand beside Varick. She felt his arm snake around her waist, pulling her close to him.

"Alright, let's get to it" Varick ordered.

"Let's do it!" Everyone either shouted or roared with delight as they set about the task of making sure everything was in line for their rescue mission.

"After all this is said and done, I am throwing a huge party down at the club. Everyone from Varick's ship is invited. Free food and drinks all around" Melissa cheerfully stated in the Yautja language as she wrapped her arms around Varick's waist and gave him a tight squeeze.

"Sounds like a plan to me. Any party works for me, just so long as Mara dances with me" Bashera stated in his language as he glanced over at Mara.

He couldn't believe that an ooman female spoke his language but, as soon as he looked at Varick, he understood. Varick and the little ooman female were close and in love with each other. Even a blind fool could see their feelings shining in the dark. Now he began to wonder how long they had known each other and what their actually relationship was. _Wait a minute! That large ooman male is her son and he looks to be about the right age when Varick was last on Earth. Could it be that her son is also Varick's son? Nah, it's completely impossible for oomans and Yautja to breed. _

"Let's go Mara" Bashera said in his language, because he did not know how to speak hers, but was greeted with a confounded look upon her face. He realized that she couldn't understand and decided to grab her by the hand. Once he took hold of her hand, she immediately realized what he wanted to do and followed him into the back yard, where they began to quickly train.

"Bashera will make a good warrior…one of these days" Tanaka stated as he watched Bashera work with Mara on her punches and kicks, trying to get her to put a little more force behind each movement. She had the right idea; she just needed to apply herself.

They all stepped into the back yard to watch Bashera give a couple of lessons on how to be a warrior without all of the training that was required. She kicked him and punched him but, he just laughed at her. Which made Mara extremely angry and she charged at Bashera, knocking the wind out him as he fell down to the ground. But, he didn't fall alone. He quickly wrapped his arms around Mara's waist and pulled her down on top of him. Bashera then rolled her over until she was on her back and he towered over the top of her. He pinned her arms above her head and positioned himself between her thighs so she wouldn't have the opportunity to injure him with a knee to his groin area.

"He's not bad" Melissa commented as she watched. She felt Varick come up behind her and wrap his arms around her narrow waist.

"I love you, my forever mate" Varick whispered into her ear as he inhaled her feminine scent.

"You and I are one. Now and forever, my love" Melissa whispered as she turned herself around and wrapped her arms around Varick's neck. She could feel the heat of his body through her thin clothes and she could smell his musky scent.

"Now is not the time" they said at the same time and then laughed at each other.

"You're going to pay for this dearly" Mara screamed as she bucked her hips against Bashera's heavy body. It was like trying to move a mountain, just wouldn't budge.

"Bashera, quit playing around and show her some basic moves" Tanaka roared at his cousin, causing Bashera to be caught off guard.

This gave Mara the opportunity she needed to roll herself in such a way that she was able to use her one of her hips and slam it into Bashera's groin, causing him to release her arms. She immediately gave him a shove off of her, grab his knife that was on his thigh holster, and pin him to the ground with his knife at his throat.

"Now then, who has the advantage" Mara stated with a sarcastic tone of voice as she straddled his thighs, using all of her one hundred pounds to hold him in place. She watched as he placed both his hands behind his head, as though he was resting. That's when felt one of his knees bend up behind her back, shoving her light-weight body on top of his.

"Men! Even if they aren't from our planet they still only think about sex!" Mara grumbled as she felt one of Bashera's hands slid into her medium length brown hair.

She heard Varick translate her words and Bashera's annoying laughter that unnerved her. She hated it when people laughed at, especially men. But, she found Bashera's annoying laugh kind of fun and at the same time rather confusing. Was he actually laughing at her or at himself or for both of them? It was obvious to Mara that Bashera had to be the class clown because he seemed to enjoy having fun even when he was supposed to be training her.

"Bashera. That's your name, right?" Mara questioned as she placed both her hands against his chest. She watched as Bashera nodded his head.

"Could you let me up now? I think you are more interested in feeling me up then you are in training me. Though, I have to admit, it was fun" Mara stated with a chuckle as she shoved herself off of Bashera and stood up.

Bashera pushed himself up off the ground and followed Mara. He was thoroughly enjoying himself and Mara. He liked the fact that she knew how to have a good time and enjoyed laughing as much as he did. But, he was also confused by the fact that she kept herself cold and distant if he looked like he was getting to close for her comfort.

"Are we all about as ready as we're going to get?" Melissa asked as she turned her head and saw Bashera and Mara walking back towards the house.

"I'm ready and I think I speak for everyone here" Mara stated as she wiped the beads of perspiration that were forming on her forehead.

"Alright, let's rock and roll" Melissa ordered as they all walked to the garage.

Inside the garage were three black Harley Davidson motorcycles, Melody's pickup truck, and Melissa's seven passenger van. Mara and Carrie got onto the motorcycles with Bashera and Varick. Tanaka, Melody, and Melissa got into the van.

"Be careful" Melissa stated as she started up the van and she heard the loud rumble of the bikes as they started up. Everyone gave each other a thumbs up before going in their own directions.


	9. Sacrifice of Love

Chapter 9: Sacrifice of Love

"This is it. You two remember what I told you and hopefully Kareem will believe us" Melissa commanded softly as she parked the van in front of the dock warehouse.

Her heart felt as though it was going to pound out of her chest with the fear that was welling up inside of her. It had been five years since the last time any of them had laid eyes on Kareem and she knew that no one wanted to see him. She wasn't sure what to expect but, her sense were on full alert for anything. She didn't trust Kareem twenty-five years ago and she wasn't going to start trusting him now. Especially since Alex's life was endanger.

"Yes, we remember" Melody stated as she stepped out of the van. She almost had to laugh when Tanaka stepped out of the van because; it lifted an extra six inches from the ground and rocked with his weight. She watched as her mother got out of the van and exhaled sharply.

"Here goes nothing" Melissa softly stated as she sensed Varick's presence nearby. She looked at the top of the building and saw his watery form along with Bashera's. She knew Mara and Carrie were waiting about a block away for a radio signal from Varick. Then they would come in with guns blasting and kicking ass all the way.

They watched as the door on the metal warehouse opened up. All three of them walked inside the dark room and the door closed behind them. Melody held onto her mother's hand for support along with Tanaka's. Melody felt the slight squeeze of his hand, reassuring her that everything was going to be fine. She wished that she could agree with him.

"Well, you three sure as hell took your sweet time on getting here. I expected you here exactly three minutes ago. Not a good way to treat someone who has your son" Kareem stated as one of his employees turned on the bright overhead lights, temporarily blinding their three guests.

"Well, you should know by now that New York has heavy traffic. Besides, I didn't think you would argue over three lousy minutes" Melissa forcefully stated as she released her daughter's hand and stepped forward. Her eyes had finally become adjusted to the bright light and were able to focus on Kareem, who was standing about ten feet away from them.

"I wouldn't be too hasty to be so testy. Alex's life still hangs in the balance. So, I suggest you try to be polite or I might just have his life ended" Kareem sarcastically stated as he took a step towards Melissa.

"Might I say, you look even more beautiful than I remember and twice as sexy" Kareem commented as he looked at Melissa, who was still dressed in her little black dress.

"I take it that you actually brought the interloper with you as well as Melody."

"Yes, he came willingly because he is a close friend of Alex's" Melissa stated calmly.

"I'm impressed" Kareem was not in the least amused as he watched the seething hatred in Melissa's blue eyes. He could still recall how her eyes grew wide whenever he had sex with her. He knew she hated it and that made him want her even more. He enjoyed it even more when she screamed and cried and begged for him to stop but, he never would. Even now, he desired her especially seeing her in that black dress that barely covered her assets.

"Melody, how much you've grown. You look very lovely" an older man's voice said as he stepped out of the shadows and into the light.

Melody's eyes grew wide because she recognized the sixty year old man who stepped out of the shadows. It was her fourth cousin, Mr. Duncan Cotter. Melody was trying to figure out why he was here when her father spoke up.

"As you're probably wondering why your cousin is here. He's the one who bought you and is going to marry you as soon as possible" Kareem stated.

"Are you crazy? He's old enough to be my grandfather!" Melody shouted as she balled up her tiny fists.

"So, I plan on becoming your wealthy benefactor. All I need from you is to give me a son and all my fortune goes to you" Duncan stated as he walked towards Melody. He watched as the large humanoid male kept a constant eye on him as he advanced towards Melody. It wasn't until he was within grabbing distance that the male that was with them pulled Melody back, keeping her as close as he could. The male even let out a loud growl, warning Duncan that he had best keep his distance from Melody unless he wanted to be dead.

"Like mother, like daughter. Both of which are harlots but, I think a little bit of experience for Melody is a good thing. At least there won't be all that crying during your wedding night" Kareem mentioned as he watched the Yautja warrior with a wary eye.

"Where's Alex? I want to see him" Melissa demanded as she closed the distance between Kareem and herself. She had enough of playing games and running circles with Kareem, it was time to get down to business.

"Guards, bring in the boy" Kareem ordered.

Melissa watched as a back door opened up and two men half drug Alex into the room. He had several gashes on his face; his shirt was ripped in many places where several of the guards had fun in whipping him, and multiple bruises on his fists, chest, face, and back.

"Alex" Melissa whispered as she looked at her son's battered body. She could see that he was having problems breathing, each breath he took was a struggle and his whole body quivered. She could see the neon green fluorescent blood flowing from several of his cuts and she knew Tanaka saw it.

"I'm okay, mom" his voice was harsh and raspy as he softly spoke. His arms were cuffed behind his back. He knew that if he could get out of this mess, he had every intention of making Kareem pay.

"Save your strength" Melissa whispered.

"I told you I would keep him alive. I just didn't say what kind of condition I would return him back in" Kareem stated.

"You bastard" Melissa growled at him with all the finesse of a hunter. She had it in her mind that she was going to kill Kareem one way or another for the mistreatment of her son. As she began to advance on Kareem, he halted her when he pulled her own gun and pointed it directly at her.

"I wouldn't advise it" Kareem smirked as he watched her stop dead in her tracks.

"I will kill you Kareem. I have every intention of it and that pathetic gun will not stop me from doing so" Melissa growled as she stared Kareem down.

"I don't think so" Kareem said as he pointed the gun towards Alex's head.

"You are such a weasel. Using an innocent to protect yourself and your over-inflated ego" Melissa calmly stated as her eyes darted between Alex and Kareem, trying to quickly come up with a plan. That was until she heard the infamous roar of Varick and the new one of Bashera. She could also hear Carrie and Mara trying their best to mimic them.

"What the hell is going on back there?" Kareem commanded as he spoke loudly into the radio, only to receive blood-curdling screams on the other end.

"Well now, it looks as though all your plans are washed up" Melissa said sarcastically as she looked at Kareem with a snide smile.

"I guess so" Kareem all too willingly agreed with Melissa as Bashera and Varick entered the room, followed by Carrie and Mara.

"I guess we made it here in the nick of time" Varick stated when he saw the gun pointed at Alex's head.

It was then that he noticed the color of Alex's blood. It was the same as a Yautja. He looked up at Melissa with a questioning glance and she nodded "yes". That's when Varick knew that Alex was his son. He watched as Alex struggled to stand up but, was so weak from all the blood he lost that he was unable to.

"Ah, Varick finally decides to arrive to see the demise of someone he knows. You see, I would kill you for taking Melissa but, that would be too obvious. I would kill Alex for being your son but, I already have so why bother doing it a second time. I should kill Melissa for her infidelity but, that's in the past. I should kill him for his interference last night. I should kill Melody for being like her mother but, waste of money. Now, let's see who gets the privilege of dying" Kareem thought long and hard about his decision.

Varick watched as Alex again made the attempt to get up and this time he was successful. He struggled with the handcuffs that were behind his back and finally pulled hard enough to break them.

"Hey Kareem!" Alex voiced as he charged for Kareem and struggled to get the gun out of his hand.

As they fought to gain control of the gun, it went off and shattered the silence. Everyone stopped and stared at each other to make sure that no one was hurt. Except for Melissa, who was laying in a pool of her own blood with her eyes closed and a massive hole in her chest.

Varick rushed over to Melissa and lifted her head up, whispering her name as he did. But, there was no response. He lifted her limp body up into his arms and started to walk out the back door.

"If she dies, you die with her. Come on, let's go back to the ship. We have a lot to discuss along with several of us who need medical attention" Varick ordered.

Bashera and Tanaka supported Alex's weight as they helped him limp out the door. They knew that his adrenaline rush just ended and his body was too weak to walk by himself. Carrie, Mara, and Melody followed behind them in a somber procession. It was at this moment that Alex halted.

"There's something I need to tell you guys" Alex softly spoke in the Yautja language.

"There will be time for sentiments later, you need medical attention for your wounds, brother" Tanaka stated as he looked at Alex's pained expression.

"No, it's not that. Kareem implanted me with something in my chest. There was this huge egg and this creature came out of it" Alex started to explain.

"Then we had best hurry back to the ship. You don't have much time" Bashera stated as he quickly used his infrared scanner on his mask and saw inside Alex's chest. He had less than hour to live before the hard meat would burst through his rib cage and kill him.

POV:

"Don't even bother, I am already dead" Kareem whispered as he pick the gun up off the floor and put it to the side of his head. He closed his eyes and pulled the trigger.

POV:

"What was that?" Alex asked when he heard a shot ring out from the warehouse.

"I don't know nor do I want to know" Bashera asked as he sniffed the air. It smelled of fresh ooman blood. He realized that the greedy ooman male had just killed himself. He just couldn't figure out why.

"Come on, we'll find out later" Tanaka softly encouraged as he watched Melody hang her head as she walked past them. Carrie and Mara were both trying to sooth her pain without much success.

"I agree. Let's hurry back to the ship" Bashera softly agreed with Tanaka as they picked up the pace. They knew time was not on Alex's or Melissa's side. They just hoped they would both survive their ordeals. They all were very thankful that the park was just a couple hundred feet away from the docks.


	10. Epilogue

Chapter 10: Epilogue

Four weeks had past since the incident in the warehouse.

Alex underwent surgery as soon as they reach Varick's ship and the hard was removed. He was getting ready to marry Carrie in a few more days. They both planned to stay onboard the ship and travel the galaxy with the rest of the warriors.

Melissa also underwent surgery to repair the damages done by the bullet. Her left lung was punctured, her heart was nicked, and the bullet embedded itself in her spine. After she recovered from surgery, she went to the reading of Kareem's will. She received his entire estate, which she immediately sold for a large amount along with the club and the bakery. She donated half of the money to charity and placed the other half into a Swiss Bank Account for future use if she came back or if any of her family members came back. She also was given a personalized letter from Kareem. It read:

"Dear Melissa,

I know I was not the husband that I should have been. I was jealous of the fact that Varick had your love and I never was able to reach your heart the way he did. So, I am sorry for all the pain that I caused your family. I hope that our estate will be put to good use. You can do whatever you wish with it because; I always did whatever I wanted to with you and never cared about your feelings. It's taken me twenty-five years to realize my mistakes and I hope that one day you could find it in your heart to forgive me. Know always that I loved you but, I guess it's too late now for me to right my wrongs that I did unto you. Tell Alex and Melody that I'm sorry for everything. I only wanted what I thought was best for everyone and it was never the right decision. I hope that this time will be different. I want only your happiness, Melissa, and if it's meant to be with Varick then I am happy for you both. Good luck in the future because, it is always uncertain.

Love always and forever,

Kareem Walker

After everyone was in recovery, Tanaka, Varick, and Bashera went back to find the hard meat nest, which was located under the warehouse. They also found the one who bought Melody from Kareem there. Tanaka would have killed him himself but, he was already killed by a hard meat. They blew up the warehouse and every single hard meat that was there, including the queen.

After they returned from their hunt, Tanaka and Melody married. They were expecting their first child in about eight months. It was all Tanaka talked about was their upcoming child. Melody joked around with him and said that it might be twins because; it runs on her side of the family.

Bashera spent his time with Mara training her. He had finally gone on his first hunt and was branded as a warrior. He spent many hours laughing with Mara as they tried to learn each others language. They were to be married next month. Mara's biggest kick out of the whole ordeal was the fact that she had to be marrying the ugliest male in the galaxy yet, he knew how to charm her socks off without even having to try.

As for Varick and Melissa, they were just enjoying each others company as they watched their children find love in the most unexpected places. They decided after twenty-five years of being married to each other, they were going to renew their wedding vows to each other. They were to be remarried tonight in a simple ceremony with the entire crew invited.

"Mom, you look gorgeous" Melody exclaimed as she watched her mother walk out of the bathroom in an ivory V-neck and V-back sheath which had a skirt featuring godets of organza. Underneath it was a spaghetti-strap charmeuse slip undergown. Melissa also had her hair braided into tiny braids all over her head with several silver beads on each braid. On her feet she wore a pair of ivory sandals that had a small two inch heel.

"Let's just put it this way, I feel gorgeous" Melissa stated as she ran her hands over the front of the dress, stopping just briefly over her flat stomach.

"You gonna tell him?" Melody asked, knowing that her mother was keeping a special surprise secret from Varick.

"After the ceremony" Melissa smiled as she looked at Melody.

"Hey mom, it's time to go" Alex stated as he walked into his mother's room.

"I'm coming" Melissa happily stated as she walked out of her bedroom and down to the trophy room, which is where all ceremonies were normally held at. Melissa knew that Varick had not seen her since last night, as was an Earth custom that he did not like that well but, went along with it.

As Melissa walked down the hall, Melody was on one side and Alex was on the other. She could hear the chirps and pleased growls of the other warriors as they welcomed Melissa into their world. Most of the warriors she met the last time Varick was on Earth but, the few that she didn't recognize were fairly content that the oomans who had come to stay with them readily adapted to their way of living, with a few minor problems that everyone eventually learned to live with.

Melissa saw Varick standing in the middle of the room. All around the edge of the trophy room were all the crew members who formed a circle with only one break, which was where Melissa walked through and came face to face with Varick. They repeated their vows to each other as they had done so many years ago. After they had finished their vows, the room filled with loud growls from all the Yautja warriors and even Mara and Carrie let out their own versions, which resulted in several of the warriors laughing at their attempts.

Bashera even let out his own version of a silly roar, which Varick and Melissa had to laugh at him. Mara ended up punching him in the shoulder for laughing at her which he did his fake begging for forgiveness act in front of all the warriors. Mara laughed out loud when she saw Bashera on his knees with his hands clasped together over his heart. There was not a warrior in that room who didn't laugh at Mara and Bashera for being themselves.

Later on that night, Melissa stood beside the large window, overlooking Earth, and sighed. She was dressing in a thigh-length tee shirt with nothing on underneath. She was still waiting to tell Varick about her little surprise for him. She smiled to herself as she placed a hand over her stomach. She had known for a couple of weeks but, decided to put it off until tonight, when Varick came in from making his rounds on board the ship.

"You look lovely, Lissa" Varick happily stated as he looked at his forever mate as she turned her head to him and smiled.

"Is something wrong?" Varick questioned as he crossed the room to where Melissa was standing at and wrapped his arms around her waist.

"Nothing's wrong. I just have something I need to tell you" Melissa turned in his embrace and looked adoringly up at Varick.

"What is it?" Varick questioned as he gazed into Melissa's blue eyes.

"We're going to have a baby" Melissa smiled up at him, she didn't think he could be happier until his hands slid down to her stomach and then he got down on both his knees. He placed his hands on her hips and pulled her closer to him, until he placed the side of his head against her stomach. He looked up at her after a few minutes and then rose to his feet.

"I love you, my forever mate" Varick confessed as felt a new kind of emotion welling up inside of him.

It was the same feeling that came over him when he found out that Alex was his son. Varick always found ways to spend time with Alex in order to try and make up for the time that he had lost. Alex had even started calling him dad, which made his heart sing.

He now had two sons; one full blood who was adopted and one hybrid that came from the ooman female he had married all those years ago, but both were loved equally. But, they also loved to test his patience when they started rough housing around, especially when Bashera joins. He normally has to walk away and laugh. There was nothing more frustrating than dealing with three young males who had nothing better to do with their time than play fight. Or, as Melissa called it, making a dog pile.

Now their lives were perfect. They had found each other after twenty-five years of being apart. Varick now had two sons, with another child on the way. He also had daughters by marriage to his sons. Neither one of them could have asked for anything more. Except to live…

Happily Ever After

I guess I had everyone fooled on Melissa. Believe me; I would not be that cruel of a person to kill off Varick's forever mate. I hope everyone enjoyed this story as much as I enjoyed writing it.


End file.
